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.
