Ryan tries to quell Republican revolt over immigration

The Republican leader in the House took aim at his own caucus on Tuesday as his party struggled to quell a rebellion over the vexed issue of immigration in the lead-up to Congressional elections.

So far, 20 Republican members of the House have signed a petition to force a vote on a pathway to citizenship for the close to 800,000 young undocumented immigrants who received temporary amnesty under Barack Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act.

Should five more Republican lawmakers and the House’s 193 Democrats support the measure the moderates would force a vote on the Dreamers as soon as next month. This would be in defiance of party leaders who worry that a renewed debate on immigration will worsen divisions in the party and hurt Republican prospects in the November midterms. “I can guarantee you, a discharge petition will not make law,” said Paul Ryan, House speaker, on Tuesday. “

So, what’s the point? I think we should have a process that actually has a chance at making law and producing a bill that the president would support.”