The House of Representatives rejected a hard-right immigration bill on Thursday, and a planned vote on a bill, intended as more of a compromise, has been delayed by Republican leaders as lawmakers in the party continue to be divided over the contentious issue.
41 primarily moderate Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the conservative measure, defeating it 231-193, defections that highlight the schism in the party over the issue of immigration and the reality of 2018’s upcoming midterm elections, forcing lawmakers to stay committed to districts that range from pro-immigrant to fiercely conservative. Thursday’s vote set the stage for a debate on the other bill, one that Republican leaders have crafted in the hope of finding a middle ground between the conservative and moderate wings of their party.
But, many conservatives consider the compromise bill to be too lenient. Aides say that the last roll call will now wait until Friday. President Donald Trump had agreed to support both bills, so the failure of both would be embarrassing. The internal turmoil in the Republican Party has been exacerbated by harsh domestic and international criticism of the zero-tolerance immigration policy that separates immigrant families.
The President said that he intends to invite the two top Democrats in Congress, Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, and House minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, for immigration bargaining discussions in the White House.