(CNN) House Speaker Paul Ryan argued that an attempt by some House Republicans to force a vote on immigration bills amounts to a "spectacle" that will ultimately fail.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Ryan said he doesn't want to see a process that turns "the floor over to the minority" and "ends up with a veto."

"I would like to have an immigration vote before the midterms, but I want to have a vote on something that can make it into law," he said. "I don't want to have, you know, show ponies."

A group of House Republicans is seeking enough signatures for a discharge petition that would put four competing immigration bills on the floor, including a bill that many conservatives support and a bill of the speaker's choosing. The move is an end-run around Ryan, who has sat on the conservatives' bill as it continues to lack enough votes to pass and not moved toward any alternatives.

The Senate held a similar floor debate in February in which lawmakers voted on four different proposals that would address the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program . None of the four, however, got the 60 votes needed to move forward . One bipartisan compromise bill came close, falling six short of the 60 needed to advance legislation in the Senate, after being aggressively criticized by the administration. The President's own proposal fell 21 votes short, even with a handful of Democrats supporting it.

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