WASHINGTON, DC – FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement today on the developments on the discharge petition and push for Dreamer legislation:

“It’s been nearly eight years since the House last allowed a single vote to protect Dreamers. No one deserves to live their life with years of chaos and uncertainty simply because Congress refuses to do its job. Tonight, the discharge petition fell two signatures short of the 218 required – something that is particularly disappointing given that additional members publicly committed their support.

“There appears to be a lot up in the air, including rumors of potential votes next week, but here are the facts: First, any process with a chance of actually leading to a law must be bipartisan – this is what any compromise legislation should and must be in order to succeed; second, the discharge petition is still open and members should immediately sign on; and third, the “Goodlatte bill” that may or may not get a vote doesn’t even offer permanent protections for Dreamers. It slashes legal immigration levels by 45 percent (the largest cuts in a century) and has zero chance at becoming law. It is a very bad bill that we and many others strongly oppose.

“We are thankful to the 216 Members of Congress – 23 Republicans and the entire Democratic caucus – who signed the petition and for everyone around the country actually fighting to protect these young people, as opposed to people looking to just kill a discharge petition or some attempted political win. We will continue to press ahead and fix this crisis and ensure we protect the lives of Dreamers across the country.”