Immigration debate roils GOP
"Anyone who supports taking American jobs and military service opportunities from Americans and lawful immigrants is betraying the American citizens they claim to represent," the lawmakers said of the push by Denham and others, labeling their actions "unfathomable."
Brooks said he plans to appear before the Rules panel to advocate for his amendment and for nixing the existing provision, which was authored by Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.).
The Alabama lawmaker told The Hill that he has already spoken to a member of the Rules committee and his sense is there's a "good chance" some or all of the anti-DACA measures make it to the House floor.
"The question is going to be, out of all of us who want to kill" the immigration amendments by Gallego and Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) "which one will have their chance," Brooks said.
A House GOP leadership aide indicated that at least one of the amendments from Brooks and Gosar would be allowed a floor vote.
Veasey hailed Denham and the Armed Services Republicans who backed the two immigration provisions, calling the move "absolutely great." Six Republicans backed the Gallego amendment in committee, while seven backed the Veasey language.
"Hopefully it's a sign that the House as an entire body is moving in the right way. … Hopefully we will be able to move forward with some of these things," he said.
Veasey said some of the GOP members elected in 2014 "don't come from solid red districts. It means they're trying to represent their entire district, not just a certain section or demographic of their district, but their entire district."
Gallego is not turning away from the fight, either.
"The House Armed Services Committee spoke in a bipartisan manner," he told The Hill.
Gallego slammed Brooks' letter and said the issue should go to the full House, not through some "weird procedure" in Rules that would "go against the spirit of Congress."
"The place to debate this on the House floor, instead of trying to strip it in the middle of the night," he said.
Gallego charged that Brooks and others hardliners are "trying to are further radicalize the immigration issue and basically stoke the fires against comprehensive reform."
Both Gallego and Veasey expressed surprise about the uproar over their provisions, since neither contains an explicit Pentagon mandate. But Brooks maintained that their amendments, along with Denham's, "undermine national security by encouraging more lawless conduct at the border."