House Farm Bill Dormant Amid Immigration Dispute

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House Republican leadership is currently struggling with immigration issues and it’s put the House farm bill that didn’t pass on Friday right on the back burner. The Hagstrom Report describes the bill as “dormant.” Speaker Paul Ryan called for reconsideration of the bill immediately after the vote on Friday. He declared that the “ayes” had won the voice vote but didn’t call for a roll call vote. The schedule of bills considered on Monday evening didn’t contain the farm bill. Under House rules, it has two legislative days to take a vote on reconsideration of a bill. The House is scheduled to leave on Thursday afternoon for a week-long Memorial Day break. Every House Democrat and 30 Republicans voted against the House farm bill. The Republicans were a mix of the Freedom Caucus members, as well as moderate Republicans, who consider the bill’s changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to be too restrictive. Members of the House Freedom Caucus want leadership to bring up a restrictive immigration bill. Moderate Republicans are attempting to force a vote on a proposal to protect the immigrant students without legal status, known as Dreamers.