Ryan Praises Hawkish Border Bill but Stops Short of Promising Vote

As signs of a possible amnesty deal emerged Thursday from the Senate, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) praised a new immigration reform bill that has President Donald Trump’s support, though the legislative leader stopped short of promising a vote.

The Security of America’s Future Act of 2018, unveiled Wednesday by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), would codify the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program created by executive order under former President Barack Obama.

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Under the legislation, current DACA enrollees would have permanent protection from deportation as long as they followed the law and would be able to renew work permits every three years; but they would have no path to citizenship.

The bill also would radically overhaul the immigration system, reducing the number of green cards and prioritizing immigrants with skills and education over those with relatives in the United States. The legislation also authorizes construction of a border wall and makes a host of other security upgrades.

“I think it is a good bill,” Ryan told reporters at his weekly news conference. “We’re working on that. Look, I think it’s important that we start putting ideas on the table.”

But Ryan did not directly answer a question about whether he would bring the bill to the floor, suggesting it is just part of the ongoing negotiations over DACA, which protects illegal immigrants whose parents brought them as children to America.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calf.) and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas) have been working with their Democratic counterparts. Ryan said those talks would continue, adding he is confident a final deal will have bipartisan support and the backing of a majority of Republicans in the House.

“When people bring ideas to the table, that’s constructive,” he said. “That’s what Goodlatte is doing, the chairman of the committee.”

Later Thursday, Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) told NBC News that lawmakers had reached a deal, although other senators expressed skepticism over that pronouncement.

Ira Mehlman, a spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, told LifeZette that Ryan’s failure to commit to a vote on Goodlatte’s bill is troubling. Mehlman, whose organization has long advocated for most of the provisions in the bill, said the House should pass the strongest legislation it can and then negotiate with Democrats.

“They need to take the strongest step they can and make sure the American people’s interests are taken care of,” he said. “This is their opportunity. They don’t want to squander it.”

Ryan said the Goodlatte bill offers peace of mind to DACA enrollees and “shows, ‘Here’s what the security piece looks like.'”

Ryan said passing a “clean” amnesty for DACA enrollees, as Democrats have demanded, would ensure a new crisis down the road.

Related: Border Hawks Offer Cautious Praise for New House Immigration Bill

“We want to fix it while addressing the root cause of the problems so that we don’t have a DACA problem again. I mean, that’s just kind of common sense,” he said. “That means that the security measures that need to accompany any DACA solution are necessary so that we have a final fix and not a temporary fix, so that we don’t a problem down the road again.”

But Mehlman said a strong bill is less likely to emerge if House Republicans do not start from a position of strength. He called on the White House to threaten to veto any bill that does not contain a clear set of priorities.

Mehlman said he assumes a ruling this week by a federal judge ordering the administration to resume DACA renewal applications will not stand. That would leave a March expiration date for DACA imposed by President Trump last year.

That should put the GOP in a strong negotiating position, Mehlman said.

“They actually hold all the cards,” he said.

PoliZette senior writer Brendan Kirby can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter.