AZ Congressional Delegation

Republicans complete their epic fail on immigration bills

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In other news … Republicans completed their epic fail to pretend to pass an immigration bill on Wednesday when the GOP compromise bill on immigration failed in a worse-than-expected 121-300 vote, effectively ending a months-long GOP drama that had put the caucus’s internal politics on display.

Arizona delegation: Yeah: McSally; Nay: Biggs, Gallego, Gosar, Grijalva, Lesko, O’Halleran, Schweikert, Sinema.

The Hill reports, House rejects second GOP immigration bill:

The measure won far fewer GOP votes than a more hard-line measure rejected last week in a 193-231 vote.

Only 121 Republicans backed it, compared to 193 for the earlier measure. Two Republicans did not cast votes on Wednesday, while 112 Republicans voted against it.

Votes on the bill were twice postponed to give Republicans more time to win support for the measure, which was opposed by Democrats.

But conservatives never really warmed to it, and President Trump put down the effort on Twitter, at one point saying that Republicans should stop wasting their time since the bill was seen as dead on arrival in the Senate.

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Reactionary Republicans give Democrats their best opportunity in years to take over the State Government.

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Arizona State Capital

Gaining control of the State Legislature is within the Democrats reach as the reactionary and backward Republican Leadership has brought the state to the lower depths of most national rankings.

2018 presents an ideal opportunity for LD Democrats as they run to take over the State House and State Senate. The ascension of Donald Trump, the embrace of Dark Money, Koch Brother, and other oligarchical interests by Governor Ducey and the out of touch Republican State Leadership, and the rise of the Me Too and Red for Ed Movements have driven progressive enthusiasm to a fever pitch as LD Democratic offices report record attendance at monthly meetings and up to triple the amount of volunteer requests. Democratic figures ranging from the head of the Maricopa County Democratic Party to all interviewed LD Democratic candidates are pledging to run on an agenda of fully funding public education, good paying jobs, health care, infrastructure (including clean energy), and combatting political corruption to bring our state up from the depths of our national rankings.

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Epic GOP fail on House immigration bills

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The far-right immigration bill from Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), H.R.4760 – Securing America’s Future Act of 2018, co-sponsored by Arizona Reps. Martha McSally, David Schweikert and Debbie Lesko, that the House GOP Freedom Caucus demanded a vote on by stomping their feet and threatening to hold their breath until they turned blue, as predicted went down to defeat today on a vote of 193-231.

Arizona Delegation: Yeas: Lesko, McSally, Schweikert; Nays: Biggs, Gallego, Gosar, Grijalva, O’Halleran, Sinema.

When you lose wingnuts like Biggs and Gosar on this vote, you know how “out there” supporter are (looking at you Lesko, McSally and Schweikert).

The Hill reports, Hardline immigration bill fails in the House:

Every Democrat and 41 Republicans voted against Goodlatte’s bill.

A second vote on the GOP compromise measure has been delayed until Friday as leaders seek to rally support for it.

There will also be a conference wide meeting on immigration at 4:30 p.m., which will give GOP leaders one last chance to rally the party around the legislation and convince the remaining holdouts to get on board with the plan.

The GOP compromise measure would provide a pathway to citizenship for up to 1.8 millions “Dreamers,” provide $25 billion for Trump’s border wall and other security measures, and prevent families from being separated at the border.

Good luck ever getting any of the House GOP Freedom Caucus to vote for a bill that provides a pathway to citizenship. AMNESTY! Never!

(Credit: This week’s cover of Time magazine)

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Trump flip-flops on immigration bill, using separated children as hostages for his border wall

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Yesterday morning, “President Trump said he would not sign a carefully crafted GOP bill addressing the predicament of Dreamers, news that caught House Republicans by surprise and left the legislation on life support.” Trump crushes hopes for compromise DACA plan. “I’m looking at both of them,” Trump told “Fox & Friends” aka “Trump TV” in an interview Friday morning from the White House lawn. “I certainly wouldn’t sign the more moderate one.”

By Friday evening, Trump had flip-flopped. White House says Trump backs GOP immigration bills, despite comments opposing them. One official says Trump misunderstood Fox News’ question.

The White House said Friday that President Trump supports House legislation that closely tracks his priorities on border security and limiting legal immigration, walking back comments he made on national television rejecting the GOP bill.

The reversal came after hours of confusion on Capitol Hill, where Trump’s words roiled an already fragile internal debate between conservative and moderate House Republicans who have been trying to find an immigration compromise after months of false starts.

“The president fully supports both the Goodlatte bill and the House leadership bill,” White House spokesman Raj Shah said, referring to legislation drafted by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and a separate compromise measure.

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