Rep. McCaul Expects Vote on 'Very Constructive' Immigration Bill

Rep. Michael McCaul said he still expects a vote next week on a "very constructive bill" on immigration, despite the delay, and vowed that it would pass.

"Chairman [Bob] Goodlatte and I, it is our bill," the Texas Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "We decided to put a pause on the bill and held a conference last night. It was very productive. We saw a lot of the different issues coming together and I think we'll have a very constructive bill on the floor next week."

Much of the bill will take care of the family separation issue, said McCaul.

"Right now, under law, they get separated," said McCaul. "We keep the families together under this law and it's a very important point. We also provide border security and fix DACA, which all the Democrats seem to be against that when we debated the bill on the floor. And every Democrat voted against our DACA fix and solution yesterday."

McCaul said the bill deals with the pillars of border security, ending the visa lottery system, reducing chain migration, and includes a solution to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

"I think the other members are very much in the weeds on this and we're trying to get everybody a consensus bill, if you will, get everybody together, so we need to pass this," said McCaul.

"This is an historic opportunity to do something we haven't done in 25 years. Fix the DACA kids, legalize them, it will provide border security that I talked about for seven terms in Congress. We just have to get this done," McCaul said.

The bill also includes $25 billion to meet President Donald Trump's call for a border wall, along with the "technology and personnel to get it done," the lawmaker said.

However, McCaul acknowledged the House passes many bills that end up going nowhere when the Senate gets them.

"Quite frankly, this is the most important bill, other than the tax cut bill, we'll vote on in this Congress," said McCaul. "I would urge Sen. John Cornyn and [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch Mcconnell to waive that filibuster rule and make it a 51 vote. I know the president of the United States would stand firmly behind that as he stands firmly behind us."

The Senate, though, does "like their traditions," but "they aren't getting anything done," said McCaul.

"We're getting very impatient in the House. I passed 100 bills out of my committee just sitting over there in the Senate. It's true with every committee chairman in the House. This is the No. 1 campaign promise that the president made was to build the wall, secure the border, my bill delivers that. We'll pass it."

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