Democrats tried to hold up legislative work in the House on Wednesday by demanding votes that it adjourn three times, forcing Republicans to waste time on these procedural motions each time.
Democrats disapprove of the Trump administration's decision to revoke temporary protected status for thousands of Salvadorans, and also oppose the GOP plan to impose tougher border restrictions as part of a larger immigration plan.
They specifically are demanding protection for Dreamers as part of a spending bill next week. But Republicans are demanding that this immigration matter be delayed until March.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., made the first motion to adjourn in protest of the GOP position.
"The president gave the Congress a deadline to pass legislation to protect the Dreamers and we take that deadline very seriously and think our colleagues should too," Gutierrez said in a statement. "Any time we are not debating the Dream Act is time wasted and we wanted to make that point by forcing everyone to come to the floor for a symbolic vote."
He was followed by Reps. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., and Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz.
"We are taking action to make sure everyone knows that people with DACA are already losing their status and face deportation," said Grijalva. "If we have to inconvenience our colleagues to get their attention, so be it."
The House defeated those motions each time, and the number of Democrats voting to adjourn ranged from 51 to 62. But it wasn't clear early Wednesday afternoon how many more protest votes would be demanded.
