Johnson drops Afghan visa extension to win over funding bill holdouts – Washington Examiner
The article discusses a recent decision by Republican House leadership to drop a provision that would have extended the number of visas for Afghan allies living in the United states. This move aims to gain support from GOP holdouts for a continuing resolution to fund the government. With a slim majority, Republicans can only afford to lose one vote; Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) has already expressed his opposition to the funding bill. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), among others, is advocating for changes to the Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) process due to concerns about properly vetting Afghan refugees. The amendments propose to reduce the visa cap from 70,500 to 50,500 and eliminate a two-year application deadline extension while keeping the program operational this year. Republican leaders aim to include these changes in an upcoming reconciliation bill. Several GOP members remain undecided about their support for the bill.
Johnson drops Afghan visa extension to win over funding bill holdouts
Republican House leadership removed a provision to extend the number of visas for Afghan allies living in the United States to win support from GOP holdouts on the continuing resolution to fund the government.
The provision would have increased the number of visas for Afghan allies who fought alongside U.S. troops. With a razor-thin House majority, Republicans can only afford to lose one vote to pass the measure, and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) is already firmly against the bill.
Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), one of the holdouts, said in an interview with Politico that he was pushing for the change to the provision of Special Immigrant Visas, or SIV, for Afghans. He cited concerns about the ability to vet Afghans resettled in the U.S. properly.
“It’s a sticking point for me,” Ogles told the outlet.
An estimated eight to 10 Republican lawmakers planned to oppose the funding bill unless the SIV change was made. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) said he will include the SIV change in the reconciliation bill later this year.
The amendment cuts a planned increase in the Afghan SIV visa cap from 70,500 to 50,500. The change also eliminates a provision that would have extended the application deadline for another two years but keeps the program operational through this year.
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GOP leaders attached the SIV changes to an amendment that cleared the Rules Committee on Monday evening, teeing up the CR for a vote on the House floor on Tuesday.
In addition to Massie, a few House Republicans are still uncommitted to voting in favor of the CR, which will fund the government at levels set in 2022 through September. Reps. Cory Mills (R-FL) and Tim Burchett (R-TN) have not confirmed if they will vote in favor of the bill.
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