Representatives Jeff Denham (R-CA) and Pete Aguilar (D-CA), joined by Representatives Will Hurd (R-TX), Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM), Michael Coffman (R-CO) and David Valadao (R-CA), today announced that their “Queen of the Hill” Rule has broad bipartisan support from roughly 230 Representatives, easily surpassing the 218 votes needed to pass the measure through the House.
The Rule — H.Res. 774 — would allow a fair chance for the House to consider four separate immigration bills, including the Dream Act, the bipartisan USA Act (which pairs an earned pathway to legal status for Dreamers with improved border security), Rep. Goodlatte’s Securing America’s Future Act, and a fourth bill offered by Speaker Ryan. The bill that receives the most votes in the House would be adopted and move to the Senate for a vote.
The House has not allowed a single vote on legislation to protect Dreamers since President Trump terminated the DACA program seven months ago, jeopardizing the futures of nearly 800,000 young Americans and creating an urgent crisis for millions of their family, friends and colleagues. Without a legislative solution, hundreds of thousands of young people who know no other home could be deported to countries they barely remember and costing the American economy hundreds of billions of dollars over a decade.
Statements from FWD.us and other organizations on H.Res. 774 are below:
Statement from Todd Schulte, President of FWD.us: “It's been more than 7 months since DACA was repealed and it is ridiculous that the House hasn't allowed a single vote to protect Dreamers. That is why we are supporting this resolution that simply says let's take a single day – even just an hour – and vote on a series of bills that deal with Dreamers. Some are good and some are bad, but Congress should do its job and actually VOTE. We are particularly grateful for Congressman Denham’s and Congressman Aguilar’s continued commitment to protecting millions of promising young people who, in the face of congressional inaction, risk deportation to countries they barely remember.”
Statement from Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: “The Chamber supports the efforts of Representatives Denham, Hurd, Aguilar, Lujan Grisham, and many others to initiate a long-overdue immigration debate in the House of Representatives. We hope their work on House Resolution 774 leads to a serious debate on bipartisan legislation that addresses the plight of Dreamers and implements much needed improvements to our nation’s border security efforts.”
Statement from Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum: “Republican voters want a solution for Dreamers and our border that bolsters the rule of law. Congressman Denham’s ‘Queen of the Hill’ proposal offers an excellent opportunity for Congress to debate and vote on such a solution. An already hobbled DACA program, caught between the administration and the courts, is not the solution Americans want or need. Speaker Ryan should allow Congress to engage in debate, then vote.”
Statement from the Coalition for the American Dream: “The Coalition for the American Dream, an organization of business leaders representing every major sector of the US economy, endorses the House resolution introduced by Rep. Denham (H. Res. 774), which would require the House to vote on several immigration proposals related to DACA. It is vital that Congress act now to provide legal certainty for Dreamers and businesses, avoid a loss of valuable talent and significant disruptions in the American workforce, and ensure that these deserving young people can continue contributing to their communities and our economy. President Trump has called for Congress to act on DACA, and a debate in the House on this important issue is long overdue. We applaud Rep. Denham for his work, and urge members to support his resolution.”
Statement from Jeremy Robbins, Executive Director of New American Economy: "The American people want their leaders to lead on immigration reform. A deal to secure the border and protect Dreamers makes sense to both sides of the aisle, and we applaud Rep. Denham for taking the initiative and creating a path through the gridlock."
Roughly 185 advocacy organizations, including United We Dream, the NAACP and Teach For America, signed a joint statement that said, in part: “We applaud the bipartisan effort led by Rep. Aguilar and Rep. Denham on the ‘Queen of the Hill’ resolution to fix the crisis President Trump created and to respect the will of the American people. Our country cannot wait while our family members, our neighbors, our students, our teachers, and our first responders who are American in all but paper live in fear of deportation. Immigrant youth in our communities should be able to fully contribute to the only country they've ever called home. Speaker Ryan, bring up the Dream Act for a vote now and respect the will of the People’s House.”