On March 13, 2018, Rep. Jeff Denham (R-California) introduced H.Res. 774 with 17 original Republican cosponsors. The resolution would require the U.S. House of Representatives to consider four bills under a “Queen of the Hill” rule to address Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients.
What Does Rep. Denham’s Resolution Do?
- A “Queen of the Hill” rule, as provided for in Rep. Denham’s resolution, allows for sequential votes on amendments to the same bill. Under the rule, whatever amendment receives the most votes is adopted, regardless of the order in which it was voted on or how many amendments received more than 218 votes.
- The “Queen of the Hill” resolution would allow Reps. Goodlatte (R-Virginia), Roybal-Allard (D-California), Speaker Paul Ryan and Denham to offer one amendment each to the base bill.
- Rep. Denham’s office expects that this would bring the following four immigration bills, as amendments, to the floor of the House for a vote in the following order:
- Rep. Goodlatte’s Securing America’s Future (SAF) Act (H.R. 4760), or a modified version of the bill;
- Rep. Roybal-Allard’s Dream Act of 2017 (H.R. 3440);
- An immigration bill of Speaker Paul Ryan’s choice; and
- The Uniting and Securing America (USA) Act (R. 4796), or a modified version of the bill, introduced by Reps. Will Hurd (R-Texas) and Pete Aguilar (D-California) and co-sponsored by Rep. Denham.
- The bills’ sponsors would have an opportunity to modify their bill’s language prior to debate. After that, the bill that receives the highest number of votes exceeding 218 would be voted on by the full House.
A Quick Glance at the Bills Included in the Queen of the Hill Resolution
- Uniting and Securing America (USA) Act (H.R. 4796): The bill would provide Dreamers who have continuously lived in the U.S. since December 31, 2013 with the opportunity to earn permanent legal status if they pursue higher education, serve in the military or are gainfully employed, and meet other requirements. The bill would also strengthen America’s border security through the use of technology, investments in ports of entry, and development of a comprehensive southern border strategy, among other border security measures. For a detailed summary, please click here.
- The Dream Act of 2017 (H.R. 3440): The bill would provide Dreamers who have continuously lived in the U.S. for at least four years with the opportunity to earn permanent legal status if they pursue higher education, serve in the military or are gainfully employed, and meet other requirements. The Dream Act does not include a border security component. For a more detailed summary, please click here.
- Securing America’s Future Act (H.R. 4760): The bill would provide temporary three-year renewable legal status for some DACA recipients who had a valid work authorization at the date of the bill’s enactment. The bill would not include an opportunity to earn permanent legal status and would exclude most Dreamers from eligibility. The bill would also reduce annual legal immigration to the U.S. by 25 to 40 percent, criminalize illegal presence in the U.S., hire 5,000 additional Border Patrol agents and build physical barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border, and restrict eligibility and make it more difficult for those seeking asylum in the U.S. to apply. For a more detailed summary, please click here.
- An Immigration Bill of Speaker Ryan’s Choice: Speaker Ryan would have the opportunity to select an immigration bill of his choice. Rep. Denham stated on April 18 that Ryan could select an immigration bill reflecting President Trump’s “four pillars” immigration framework. President Trump’s immigration framework would provide 1.8 million Dreamers with the opportunity to earn permanent legal status, include $25 billion in border security funding and changes to make it more difficult for those seeking asylum in the U.S. to apply, reduce annual legal immigration to the U.S. by up to 40 percent and eliminate the Diversity Visa Program. Another option is the proposal developed in the Senate by Sens. Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) and Angus King (I-Maine), which would provide Dreamers with an opportunity to earn permanent legal status, prohibit Dreamers from sponsoring their parents for U.S. citizenship and include $25 billion in border security funding.
For more information, please click here for a comparison of legislative proposals addressing Dreamers in the U.S. House of Representatives.