A respected Illinois Republican donor, as well as pro-immigrant business leader, warned that he might close his wallet over immigration legislation.
According to Politico, John Rowe, a former Exelon chairman, stated that he would cut off campaign donations to GOP lawmakers who do not join the Democratic-led effort to force a House vote on legislation related to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
“Every member of the Illinois delegation knows this is one of the most important issues facing them and it determines how much money I’m giving them,” Rowe said.
Meanwhile, GOP leaders have been urging rank-and-file members not to put their signature on a discharge petition to force a vote, saying it would hand power to the Democrats and “disunify” the Republican majority. However, 20 GOP lawmakers have already signed the petition, so with five more, along with all Democrats, a vote on DACA can be forced.
DACA is an Obama-era program that protects young people, known as “Dreamers,” who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.
Politico reported that no Illinois Republicans have signed the petition yet, although Illinois has the fourth-largest population of Dreamers in the U.S.
“This is the home state of Abraham Lincoln,” Rowe said. “We’re betraying our entire heritage if we don’t get this done.”
President Donald Trump revoked DACA last September, and lawmakers have yet to reach a deal on legislation to protect the estimated 800,000 Dreamers in the U.S. while satisfying Trump’s demands for a funding for his border wall.
Rowe also told Politico that he has made it clear to GOP lawmakers, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, that he is not alone in his threats to withhold donations.
“There’s a whole bunch of Republicans like me who simply aren’t going to keep giving money if you don’t get an immigration bill done,” Rowe said he told Scalise.
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