GOP Control of House Threatened by Discharge Petition

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and his leadership colleagues are on the verge of losing control of the congressional debate on immigration, as a discharge petition has almost enough signatures to force floor votes on four bills.

President Donald Trump has made immigration one of his top priorities since the campaign. Congress has been left to debate his goals alongside other efforts such as protecting immigrants who were brought into the country illegally when they were children, a group known as Dreamers. But disagreements among Republican lawmakers and sustained opposition from Democrats have slowed the process.

Republican Reps. Will Hurd of Texas and Carlos Curbelo of Florida introduced a discharge petition May 9 hoping to break the stalemate. They are now just a few shy of the 218 signatures needed on their petition to bring the four immigration bills up for a vote. Ryan warns the move would essentially give Democrats control of the floor.

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