Politics & Government

House To Vote Next Week On Competing Immigration Bills

by Susan Davis

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan takes questions last week from reporters following a closed-door GOP meeting on immigration without reaching an agreement between conservatives and moderates. Late Tuesday, his office announced the House would vote on two im
Speaker of the House Paul Ryan takes questions last week from reporters following a closed-door GOP meeting on immigration without reaching an agreement between conservatives and moderates. Late Tuesday, his office announced the House would vote on two im J. Scott Applewhite / AP

House Speaker Paul Ryan's office announced late Tuesday that the House will vote on two immigration bills next week to address the legal status of people brought to the U.S. as children.

Specific details of the bills will be released Wednesday morning. The two bills are aimed at appeasing the ideological wings of the House GOP. One bill is expected to be a more conservative measure preferred by the House Freedom Caucus, and the other a more moderate measure preferred by centrists.

The move by House GOP leaders late Tuesday night heads off a contentious "discharge petition" effort led by GOP moderates and House Democrats to force immigration votes if no deal was reached. The speaker strongly opposed the discharge petition. It is unclear if either measure has the support to pass the House. Neither bill is expected to draw much, if any, Democratic support.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told NPR last month he had no plans to take up immigration again this year and would only act on legislation if it passed the House and had the backing of President Trump.

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

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