Congress Daily- House Republicans are soliciting signatures for a petition that will force a floor vote on an immigration enforcement bill sponsored by Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C.
The effort would set up a platform for political attacks in the November elections, highlighting the GOP view that Congress should get tough on the border before addressing guest-worker visas or illegal immigrants.
GOP leadership sources said they hope to bring the discharge petition to the floor next week, but two factors are holding back the effort -- reaching a target number of 170 signatories and coordinating the move with the presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the presumptive Republican nominee.
McCain campaign officials have signed off on the strategy, but Minority Whip Blunt Wednesday was trying to contact the candidate. The subject of the discharge petitions was discussed at a closed-door Republican Conference meeting Wednesday.
As the sponsor of a bill that would allow illegal immigrants to earn legal status, McCain has differed with a large portion of his party on immigration issues. Some Republicans fear McCain's support for earned legalization could undermine Republican turnout in November.
Democrats also are homing in on McCain's relatively liberal stance on immigration compared to base Republican voters. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Wednesday issued a statement calling on McCain to denounce a series of Republican-sponsored immigration enforcement bills that were introduced Tuesday.
"I am calling on Sen. McCain, as his party's presumptive nominee, to reject this draconian approach to immigration reform, which would demonize the Latino community," Menendez said. "As a past sponsor of comprehensive immigration reform who has since said he would have voted against his own bill, it is important for Sen. McCain to define his position on this cynical Republican effort."
Although they are not expecting to win enough signatures to force a floor vote in the House, GOP aides and lawmakers acknowledged privately that the move is intended to put pressure on vulnerable Democrats.
Several Democratic co-sponsors of Shuler's bill, such as Reps. Jason Altmire and Chris Carney of Pennsylvania and Nick Lampson of Texas, are on GOP target lists for the fall elections.
"We can definitely turn the screws to them in a certain way," said one GOP aide.
"Whatever Democrats sign onto it, will add the pressure on others," said one GOP leadership source. But sources say only seven Democrats who co-sponsor Shuler's bill have committed to sign a discharge petition.
Democratic leaders were whipping their members on the floor Tuesday night about whether they would sign onto the discharge petition on Shuler's bill. House leaders made it clear at that time that Speaker Pelosi did not want rank-and-file lawmakers to enable the Republican effort.
On Friday, Pelosi's office met with senior staff from the relevant committees and top leadership aides to discuss Shuler's bill. A spokesman for Shuler said that he is not involved in the effort, but he would sign the discharge petition if it is brought up.
"We prefer it went through regular order but if presented with it, I think he would," Shuler's spokesman said.
One Democratic co-sponsor of Shuler's bill, Rep. Artur Davis of Alabama, said he would not sign the discharge petition and said he does not feel any pressure to do so. "Voters know what you are for," said Davis. "I am for the bill. Voters know nothing about discharge petitions or motions to recommit.
Davis said that any immigration vote will be a problem for Democrats because of the potential for GOP procedural tactics and efforts to change the bill. "The subject of motion-to-recommits or amendments will not be pleasant for the Democratic party," he said.
Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Tenn., also a co-sponsor of Shuler's bill, also said he would refuse to sign the discharge petition. "I'm not going to join the minority in trying to embarrass the majority," he said. "I don't play games with anyone, Democrats or Republicans."
Republicans also hope the discharge petition effort might force Democrats into bringing their immigration bill to the floor, likely an amalgam of limited proposals on guest-worker visas, green cards, and the unauthorized population. A Democratic-led immigration floor debate would give the GOP a forum for political attacks without the stigma of a political loss with the petition.
Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Calif., said the discharge petition would not help bipartisan talks on an immigration bill. "The discharge petition doesn't make anyone feel like this is real. This is gotcha politics," he said. "I think what we're trying to say is that, 'Is there something that brings people together, bipartisan?' And then we'll deal with what folks are saying and we'll see what's real."
Rep. Brian Bilbray, R-Calif., who chairs the House Immigration Reform Caucus, has been involved in selling Shuler's bill to Republicans. Bilbray thinks Shuler's bill represents the best compromise between previous House and Senate bills. "It eliminates the felony language that was in the [House] bill and it eliminates the amnesty that's in the [Senate] package," he said.
But Bilbray said a discharge petition on Shuler's bill would raise the hackles of many members. "A lot of people in this town haven't seen a discharge petition. I signed one myself and I know what kind of hell you get for it."
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