Rep. Darren Soto signed a bipartisan discharge petition to force a long-overdue vote on the House Floor to protect America’s Dreamers. The discharge petition would force a House vote on bills to protect Dreamers, including Representatives Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen’s (FL-27) bipartisan “Dream Act of 2017” and the bipartisan Hurd-Aguilar “USA Act of 2018.” The proposal receiving the most votes on the Floor would be adopted, under a little-known “queen-of-the-hill” procedure.
“Since the president’s decision to end the DACA program, our Dreamers in Florida and around the country have been living in limbo and uncertainty. Each day Congress fails to act, their futures hang in the balance,” stated Rep. Soto. “That’s why I am proud to take real bipartisan action and support this rule to finally allow a vote on DACA measures. The American people deserve a vote and open debate on this issue that affects so many of our communities. I urge my Republican colleagues to join us in signing this discharge petition, so we can safeguard the hopes, dreams and futures of America’s Dreamers.”
According to polling, the American people want Congress to pass a DREAM Act in some form, as do the business, religious and law enforcement communities:
• 84 percent of Americans support a path to citizenship for Dreamers or permanent status;
• 88 percent of Independents back a path to citizenship or permanent status;
• 70 percent of Republicans back either citizenship or permanent status.
