The document summarizes the status of immigration reform in the U.S. Congress as of July 3, 2013. It notes that the Senate passed a bipartisan immigration bill with support from all Democrats and some Republicans. For immigration reform to pass, the House would need to pass its own bill. However, the Republican-controlled House faces internal divisions on immigration. The document outlines four options for how the House could proceed, including passing its own bill, voting on any bill, voting on the Senate bill through a discharge petition, or having House leadership bring the Senate bill for a vote. A decision was expected from House Republicans on July 10.

1. Presentation

2. Status of Immigration
Reform as of 3 July 2013
• 100 Senators: 54 Democrats, 1 Independent, 45
Republicans.
• The Senate passed a bipartisan immigration bill (S. 744) by
a 68-to-32 margin. All democrats (54), 1 independent and
13 republicans in the Senate voted for the bill.

3. The politics
• Many Republican leaders believe that Latino vote is key to
their survival and must be courted.
• Others, want to hold on to the perceived anti immigrant bias
of their existing voter base. Only 24 out of 234 House
Republicans represent districts that have a Hispanic voter
share more than 25 percent.

4. House Control
• Republicans control the House, 234 to 201
• House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has said he won't bring
the Senate bill up for a vote if it doesn't have the support of a
majority of House Republicans (known as the Hastert Rule).
• That means a House immigration bill will need a much greater
number of Republican House members than the Senate bill
(where fewer than one-third of Republicans voted "aye").

5. Options
1. House passes its own Bill or Bills (goes into ―conference‖)
2. House passes any Bill and goes into ―conference.‖
3. House votes on the Senate Bill through discharge petition.
House Democrats (201) need 17 votes from republicans to
force a vote on the Senate Bill (―Discharge petition‖).
4. House leadership brings the Senate Bill up for Vote.

6. Option 1– House
Comprehensive Bill
• The House had a bipartisan Gang of Eight working on an
immigration bill — until Rep. Raul Labrador (R-Idaho) quit.
The Gang of Seven might still produce a comprehensive
House bill.
• If such a Bill is produced, it will go into ―conference‖ for
negotiation between House and Senate and then to a final
vote in Senate and the House

7. Option 2 – any bill
• Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), the chairman of the House
Judiciary Committee, has produced a series of immigration-
related bills.
• House Democrats oppose this piecemeal approach and the
security/criminalizing approach taken.
• Can this be a device to force matters into conference?

8. Option 3 Discharge
• House Democrats (201) need 17 votes from republicans to
force a vote on the Senate Bill (―Discharge petition‖).
• Usually, it is breaking ranks if a member of the majority party
in the House signs a discharge petition. But here, Speaker
Boehner himself has noted that he wants immigration
reform. It appears that majority of House republicans want
reform as well. Discharge petition may be a choice.

9. 10 July
On 10 July, House Republican Conference will meet to decide
how they want to move forward.

10. Presentation

11. Thank you
firm@immigration.com
Presented By: Rajiv S. Khanna
3 July 2013