What if immigration bills fail? Paul Ryan says, "We'll cross that bridge if we get to it"
House Speaker Paul Ryan addressed growing concerns that both immigration measures being brought to the House floor for votes Thursday will fail, saying that members would "cross that bridge if we get to it."
"DACA is broken, the immigration system is broken, the border is not fully secured. These are facts. They need to be solved, and at the end of the day, I really believe we will come back around, if a bill doesn't pass today, we're going to come back around to the president's four pillars," Ryan told reporters Thursday.
The votes come after President Trump took executive action to suspend the administration's policy of separating children from families being prosecuted for crossing the U.S. border illegally. While the order provides only temporary protection for families, Mr. Trump said on Wednesday that the White House would continue to press Congress to provide a long-term fix to the nation's outstanding immigration problems.
Members will vote on two different bills on Thursday -- the Goodlatte immigration bill and the GOP compromise bill known as the Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2018, which Mr. Trump has pressed members to support. Ryan said the president would sign either bill into law if one makes it to his desk.
Ryan said members, as well as the president, are frustrated about the filibuster rule in the Senate, an obstacle to bills that pass the House. Mr. Trump tweeted on the rule early Thursday morning, casting doubt on the vote even before it happens.
"Even if we pass a bill, it's going to take 9 Democrats in the Senate before it gets to his desk," said Ryan. "We need 9 Democrats to stop trying to stop things and vote with us, and I don't see that happening."
Ryan complained that on immigration, Democrats were "more interested in the issue than the solution."
CBS News' Emily Tillett contributed to this report.
