More than 200 members of Congress have signed a petition to force a House vote on various immigration bills, but supporters still need just 15 more signatures, The Hill reports.
If all 193 Democrats sign the petition, then only five more Republicans are required.
"We're having more and more members sign on . . . We've always been confident we have the votes, so it's just signing more members up this week," said Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Calif., a leading figure in the effort, along with Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., told the Hill on Tuesday. "We have a strategy all week long."
New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, described this as the last change for Congress to address immigration before taking a recess for Memorial Day.
"We're working incredibly hard to help get over the hump, here. … I'm cautiously optimistic that we can get there, but I know it's a big hill to climb," said Gottheimer, who hasn't signed the petition. "I believe it's this week or it's not going to happen. … But I think we'll know [Wednesday] if this is happening."
New York Rep. Tom Reed, the Republican co-chair of the caucus, added that party leadership is running out of time.
"Obviously, everything's coming to a head . . . Friday was another step in this process demonstrating where we're at, in my opinion, and we've got to break this gridlock," Reed said. "So, we'll see what happens over the next couple of days."
House Freedom Caucus Chair Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said that he will not support the petition if it includes Denham's legislation, saying that his group hasn't seen the final product, though they would vote on the bill proposed by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., which has yet to find 218 supporters.
"I think it's two separate votes. I mean, the truth of the matter is, you know, we'll vote on the Goodlatte bill as it was promised some seven months ago," Meadows said. "Let's vote on that, and then if we know the parameters of the other bill with Mr. Denham or anybody else, I don't envision any bloc of votes voting against the rule from our side."
He added that leadership should do everything they can to prevent the petition from moving forward, adding that "when I voted against a rule they threatened to take away all travel, they threatened to take away any [National Republican Congressional Committee] contributions.
"You know most of those people that were on the discharge petition are much closer to leadership than members of the Freedom Caucus — so I don't see them voting against the rule."
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