House plan for vote on 'Dreamers' will be set this week, key member says
WASHINGTON _ A long-awaited House vote on immigration will finally be scheduled by the end of the week, according to Rep. Jeff Denham, a key player in the ongoing drama.
The House would be expected to vote, probably later this month, on a plan to provide "a permanent fix for Dreamers as well as border security," Denham told McClatchy.
The California Republican, who has been leading a push for a vote on immigration along with Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., said that a deal with House leadership or a majority of signatures to force a vote past leadership would happen by the end of the week.
"There will definitely be more signatures this week," Denham said.
His increased confidence comes on the eve of Wednesday's two-hour House Republican conference to discuss immigration.
The signatures are part of a discharge petition, which needs 218 signatures to force a vote on four immigration bills on the House floor without leadership approval. The petition had 215 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon. Denham said a few Republicans have been holding off, wanting an immigration vote on the floor but preferring a bill with leadership approval.
Denham said there is a "framework" put together on what will be in the bill that leadership is willing to bring to the floor, but they are still working out details.
_McClatchy Washington Bureau
