On Wednesday, an immigration bill backed by Republican leaders was soundly rejected by their party members in the House of Representatives. It is the most recent setback in the internal war in the Republican Party over the controversial issue that has gone on for many years.
Few were expecting the new bill to pass, but the failure was even wider than anticipated, defeated 301-121, and gained less support in the Republican Party than the more conservative immigration bill, which also collapsed last week. The new bill had been the most steadfast effort by House Republicans in several decades to try to find a middle ground between conservatives and moderates with legislation that would have offered $25 billion for border security while also giving a pathway to US citizenship for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program recipients.
But, the legislation demonstrated that rank and file Republicans remain divided over the need to address the immigration system of the US, despite weeks of listening sessions behind closed doors, discussions, administration lobbying, and House leaders giving the new bill their blessing. One senior Republican aide claimed that no bill could ever exist that could find common ground between the more moderate members of the conference and it’s most conservative.
Many conservatives agreed in large part with many of the provisions in the bill but saw no benefit to voting for it and were particularly fearful of the reaction of their voter base with mid-term elections just a few months away.