Vulnerable House Republicans Left Washington For Another One-Week Long Recess Without Singing on to the DREAM Act
“Vulnerable House Republicans refusing to support the DREAM Act have exposed their out-of-touch priorities and lack of attention to the needs of the communities they were elected to represent,” said Javier Gamboa of the DCCC. “It’s clear that House Republicans will do and say anything to score cheap political points with the fringes of their base, even if it means using DREAMers as a bargaining chip. The backlash to their refusal to protect DREAMers will continue to grow stronger, and will certainly be an issue at the ballot box.”
Below are the names of vulnerable Republicans representing heavily Hispanic districts who have refused to support the DREAM Act:
- AZ-02 – Martha McSally
- CA-22 – Devin Nunes
- CA-25 – Steve Knight
- CA-39 – Ed Royce
- CA-45 – Mimi Walters
- CA-48 – Dana Rohrabacher
- CA-49 – Darrell Issa
- CA-50 – Duncan Hunter
- CO-03 – Scott Tipton
- FL-25 – Mario Diaz-Balart
- FL-26 – Carlos Curbelo
- TX-07 – John Culberson
- TX-23 – Will Hurd
- TX-32 – Pete Sessions
In Case You Missed It
[Roll Call’s A1 Page]
ROLL CALL: Vulnerable Republicans Try to Navigate Immigration
By Bridget Bowman
http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/vulnerable-republicans-immigration
What happens to undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children is an issue that could loom large for several House Republicans facing tough re-election races next year.
[…] At the same time, Republicans headed into competitive re-election races — especially in districts with large Latino populations — may have to confront a hard question: Will voters embrace or reject their position on the divisive issue?
[…] Thirty-three Republicans represent districts where 25 percent or more of the population is Latino, according to the Pew Research Center. Of those Republicans, 17 are Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee targets. Eleven are in districts that Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton carried in 2016.
Some districts where the majority of residents are Latino are among the top Democratic targets for 2018.
Those include Texas’ 23rd District, represented by Republican Will Hurd; the race there is a Toss-up, according to Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales. Florida Rep.
Carlos Curbelo is also a top target in a Tilts Republican race. California Rep. David Valadao is another Republican in a majority-Latino district, and his race is rated Likely Republican.
[…] “For these races where you have a sizable Latino population, I think we’re going to see the DREAM Act be almost like a litmus test for Latino voters,” said Macias of the Latino Victory Project. […]
Just over 90 percent of Latino adults surveyed last month in a national LVP online poll said it was a good idea for Congress to pass the DREAM Act. Nearly 80 percent of the 755 adults surveyed said they were more likely to support a Republican who supports the DREAM Act.
Since Trump announced last month that he planned to rescind DACA, immigration activists have staged protests in lawmakers’ districts and at the Capitol.
Last week, protesters crowded into Hurd’s D.C. office, and four were arrested for protesting in the hallway. Julieta Garibay, campaigns director and co-founder of United We Dream, said actions are also being planned in Hurd’s district for next week’s House recess.
If Congress can’t get something done, don’t expect activists to go away quietly.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Los Angeles Times: Here’s how that looming DACA deadline changes the game for California’s vulnerable Republicans
By Christine Mai-Duc
http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-daca-orange-county-republicans-20171012-story.html
[…] The backpedaling is indicative of the kind of shift that has been underway in their districts for years. The two represent more than 40% of voters in Orange County, longtime Republican turf that last year went to a Democrat for president for the first time in 80 years. That transformation is due mostly to the explosive growth of Latinos, Asians and other minority communities that tend to lean Democratic.
Now, a March date for DACA’s phaseout with hundreds of thousands of young livelihoods on the line is increasing pressure on Orange County Republicans: Royce, Walters, and Reps. Dana Rohrabacher and Darrell Issa.
[…] Demonstrations have popped up in Orange County over the last few weeks, including rallies that drew hundreds of people to Royce and Walters’ district offices.
The district that elected Royce in 1992 was then more than 60% white and less than a quarter Latino. Today, Asian Americans and Latinos make up more than 65% of his district, and the portion of white residents has shrunk to 28%.
The share of Republican voters in Walters’ district has dropped 4 percentage points since she was elected to Congress in 2014, but the districts she’s served since the start of her career show how her constituents have changed dramatically.
[…] If Congress agrees on anything but a clean bill, members risk backlash from immigrants who reject the idea of DACA recipients like Hernandez being used as bargaining chips for tougher immigration rules.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE