White House senior adviser Stephen Miller told House conservatives in the Republican Study Committee at a Wednesday meeting that the Trump White House expects to support both immigration bills coming to the House floor next week.
Miller, a hardliner on immigration, reiterated the administration’s support for House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte
Robert (Bob) William GoodlatteGOP will vote on immigration next week, sinking discharge petition Republicans scramble for last-minute immigration deal GOP centrists face decision day on Dreamer petition MORE[2][3][4][5][6][1]’s (R-Va.) bill backed by immigration hardliners but said the White House would likely also back a second bill being crafted by leadership, a source inside the room told The Hill.
That second bill will include all four of the pillars that President Trump
Donald John TrumpWhat you need to know about Tuesday's elections Danny Tarkanian wins Nevada GOP congressional primary Laxalt, Sisolak to face off in Nevada governor's race MORE[8][9][10][11][12][7] has demanded be a part of any immigration bill.
Miller was attempting to sell conservatives on the immigration compromise currently being crafted by the caucus, and indicated the White House likes where the process is headed.
“I think both the bills are being finalized right now but we strongly support what they're doing,” Miller told reporters after the meeting. “The White House supports the effort to arrive at a bill that will get 218 votes.”
The four pillars demanded by Trump are a pathway to citizenship for recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program; increased border security including $25 billion for a wall on the Mexican border; the elimination of the visa lottery program; and limits on family-based immigration or “chain migration.”
The legislative text for the compromise bill is expected to be released in the coming days.
It follows weeks of talks involving conservatives, centrists and leaders of the House GOP conference about how to move forward on immigration.
Miller’s endorsement of the unwritten second bill suggests the legislation would include principles demanded by conservatives given his own position on immigration. But it’s not clear that conservative lawmakers will embrace the bill over fears it will give “amnesty” to people who cross the border illegally.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy
Kevin Owen McCarthyRepublicans scramble for last-minute immigration deal Lawmaker: Bill tackling maternal death rates to get vote before August Pence to brief House GOP leaders on North Korea summit MORE[14][15][16][17][18][13] (R-Calif.) said Speaker Paul Ryan
Paul Davis RyanGOP will vote on immigration next week, sinking discharge petition With caveats, Republicans praise Trump’s summit with Kim Jong Un Republicans scramble for last-minute immigration deal MORE[20][21][22][23][24][19] (R-Wis.) spoke...