In recent days, Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) pushed to include the language in the annual measure that sets the nation’s defense policy. But in the last 24 hours, he encountered a flurry of criticism from a circle of conservatives who see the policy as amnesty and oppose including it in the defense authorization bill.

McKeon said he didn’t consider his own personal views on the policy — he is a co-sponsor of Denham’s standalone measure — while making the decision. He said he believed the chairman’s mark should not be the “original venue for this debate.”

( Sign up for POLITICO’s Morning Defense tip sheet)

“Over the past several days I have heard from members on and off the committee on both sides of this issue,” McKeon said. “They have made sound arguments and raised valid concerns, and my colleagues and friends Congressmen Denham and [Mike] Coffman deserve a great deal of credit for responsibly raising the matter. This is an important issue that I know will continue to be debated going forward.”

Some House conservatives have mounted a furious pushback against Denham’s effort since it became public Wednesday evening. On Friday, Denham sharply criticized his fellow Republicans for their opposition.

“It is very frustrating to see controversy on an issue from members that have never served our country and don’t understand the impact that immigrants have had on our freedoms and securing our national security,” Denham told reporters at the Capitol.

( Also on POLITICO: Full defense policy coverage)

The intraparty rhetorical battle is a small illustration of the difficulties of moving immigration reform through the Republican-led House. While the Democratic-led Senate passed a sweeping reform bill last June, the House has not taken up its own legislation on an issue that was once a top priority item for the 113th Congress.

Still, Denham promised on Friday to attach his proposal as an amendment to the defense authorization measure on the House floor. The defense bill must first be approved in committee, which should happen next month. Though there have been jurisdictional disputes, Denham said his legislation was under the Armed Services Committee’s authority because it deals with military code, not immigration statutes.

“I assume that my amendment would be ruled in order and I would expect to have a vote on the issue and I would expect that it will pass,” Denham said, adding that it was ruled in order last year. “So I would expect that the same thing would happen this time, only this time I will not withdraw the issue. I will make sure that we bring it up for a vote.”

He said he is confident his legislation would pass the House, although senior GOP sources say the path for an amendment is unclear as well.

“I know there are a lot of members that have never worn the cloth of our nation like I have,” Denham said. “But you’re seeing more and more men and women that are on this floor that have served our country.”

Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, is circulating a “Dear Colleague” letter urging fellow lawmakers to join an effort pushing leadership not to include Denham’s plan in the NDAA. On Friday, he declined to disclose the number of members who have agreed to support his letter, but insisted that there is “significant” opposition to Denham’s effort.

“There will be significant opposition that will arise if the national defense authorization bill is used as a means to give blanket amnesty to illegal aliens,” Brooks said Friday. “And once you’ve passed the NDAA with this provision in it, who knows what the Senate would then do with it, as the Senate Gang of Eight tries to revive their amnesty legislation.”

Coffman, another veteran who has advocated for a proposal similar to Denham’s, was highly critical of conservative lawmakers pushing back against Denham’s plan. In a statement, he singled out Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who told Breitbart News that the United States should not allow young undocumented immigrants into the military, but rather officials should said “we’re going to take your deposition and we have a bus for you to Tijuana.”

“Children who were brought into this country illegally through no fault of their own, and are willing to stand up and serve in the military, deserve the chance to earn citizenship,” Coffman said, calling King “dead wrong” on the issue. “As a Marine combat veteran, I believe there is no higher expression of citizenship than serving our nation in uniform.”

On a conference call with reporters Friday, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) said he supports Denham’s legislation and that he would urge fellow Democrats to vote for it if the language makes it to the floor. Aside from the merits of the policy, Gutierrez said he backs it because it could build bipartisan cooperation in the future on immigration.

“It says that look, a Congressman like Denham can work with Democrats,” Gutierrez said. “It serves as a basis of a future working together.”

Jake Sherman contributed to this report.