House struggles to unite behind bills to stem border crisis
WASHINGTON — Speaker Paul Ryan is pushing ahead with votes on rival House GOP immigration bills, but neither appears to have enough support for passage, prompting President Donald Trump to take executive action Wednesday to stem the crisis of family separations at the border.
Trump has said he’s “1,000 per cent” behind both GOP bills, but restive House Republicans have all but begged GOP leaders for more clarity about what the president would actually sign. Public outcry is mounting over the family separations, but so far, there’s no clear roadmap for Thursday voting on the emotional issue dividing Republicans.
With the immigration bills teetering in the House, the White House launched an eleventh-hour push to try to bring Republicans onboard.
Ryan took a group of wavering lawmakers to the White House to meet with Trump in hopes he could persuade them. Back on Capitol Hill, Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen also met with House Republicans.