House GOP tightens housing assistance regulations for illegal immigrants

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http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/house-gop-tightens-housing-assistance-regulations-for-immigrants-2007-07-13.html

House GOP tightens housing assistance regulations for illegal immigrants
By Mike Soraghan
July 13, 2007

House Republicans scored another procedural victory Thursday night, adding language to a Democratic housing bill that would make it harder for illegal immigrants to get housing assistance.

The House passed the GOP motion, called a “motion to recommit” on a 233-186 vote. It would require recipients of public housing assistance to provide proof of legal residency, such as a Social Security card or passport.

Motions to recommit are traditionally one of the few tools the minority party in the House has to affect legislation on the floor. The motion, sponsored by Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), would essentially amend the bill by sending it back to committee, changing it and instantaneously bringing it back to the floor. The underlying bill passed 383-83.

House Republicans have successfully used the motions as a guerilla procedural tactic 15 times this session. Earlier this year, they temporarily stalled a bill to provide a House member to D.C. with a motion that would have tied it to wiping out the District’s gun ban.

When Democrats considered altering the rules governing the motions in May, the GOP shut down the floor for hours until Democrats promised to hold off on changes.

When Republicans were in charge, leaders issued blanket orders that Republicans were to vote against all such procedural motions.

Republicans offered another motion to recommit Thursday night that would have turned the Iraq withdrawal bill into an overhaul of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. It was ruled non-germane, and the House upheld the appeal on a party-line vote, 224-197.