Immigration Reform 2014: House Democrats Introduce Discharge Petition to Urge Vote on Immigration Reform

House Democrats introduced a discharge petition Wednesday to force a vote on the comprehensive immigration reform bill that is stalled in the House.

Republican House leaders have not budged on the comprehensive bill that was passed in the Senate last June, instead saying they prefer piecemeal legislation.

Democrats and immigrant's rights advocates endured gusty winds and some snow to gather Wednesday on the East Front steps of the U.S. Capitol, according to Voice of America. Democratic Congressman Javier Becerra said the weather could not prevent them from urging House Speaker John Boehner from allowing a vote on immigration reform.

"Neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, right?" Becerra said.

Later Wednesday, Democrats put forth a discharge petition procedural maneuver on the floor of the House to try to force a vote on the legislation.

Each Democrat in the group asked the Republican who held the floor to vote on immigration reform.

"I ask unanimous consent to bring up HR 15 to demand a vote on the bipartisan immigration reform bill that unites our families," Democratic Rep. Janice Schakowski asked Republican Rep. Doug Collins.

"The chair understands that the gentlemen from Utah has not yielded for that purpose, and therefore unanimous consent requests cannot be entertained," said Collins.

Despite the maneuver, Democrats are not optimistic that the discharge petition will get the 218 signatures it needs.

"You know and it works every once in a while, there is no question that it is a tough thing to do, it is not an easy process," said Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro. "But you know, we are hoping on this, where there is so much public support, and where we know by the numbers that if you put a bill on the floor today, there are enough folks who support it that it would pass."

Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, who is part of a bipartisan group who has been working to draft common sense immigration legislation that includes stricter border security and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, said the action on the House floor is "political theater."

"The reality is this, that there is a number of us who have been working and trying to get immigration reform. If we are going to get it done, and I think we will, it has to be done in a bipartisan way," said Diaz-Balart.

President Barack Obama, who has come under pressure to curb deportations, said he "applauds the efforts of Democrats in the House to give immigration reform the yes-or-no vote it deserves."

However, analysts say that action on immigration reform is unlikely to occur before midterm elections in November.