Immigration showdown puts Ryan's job in peril
‘If we run an amnesty bill out of a Republican House, I think all options are on the table,’ says one Freedom Caucus member.
By RACHAEL BADE 05/22/2018 04:22 PM EDT Updated 05/22/2018 05:53 PM EDT
Paul Ryan is struggling to stop an immigration showdown in the House, as his Republican conference devolves into an all-out war that could put his speakership on the line.
The Wisconsin Republican pleaded with his conference Tuesday to come together after a tumultuous few days of infighting. The only way Republicans will keep their majority this fall is to work as a team, he argued, urging both wings of the party to compromise on a path forward. But that call to unity fell on deaf ears.
A group of moderates frustrated with the lack of action to protect Dreamers from deportation is expected to collect enough signatures to force bipartisan immigration votes in the coming days, according to lawmakers and aides tracking the effort. And conservatives who oppose those bills are threatening to hold Republican leaders — starting with Ryan — responsible if they don’t stop it.
"If we run an amnesty bill out of a Republican House, I think all options are on the table," said Freedom Caucus member Scott Perry (R-Pa.) told reporters Monday night when asked if Ryan could remain speaker if the so-called discharge petition succeeds.
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https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/22/paul-ryan-gop-immigration-showdown-freedom-caucus-602842
