The Senate parliamentarian has nixed Democrats' back-up plan for getting immigration reform into a sweeping spending bill, handing them a second setback.
Democrats had pitched parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough on legalizing millions of undocumented immigrants by making a change to the date for when undocumented immigrants within the United States can apply to adjust their legal status.
But MacDonough told Democrats that the option was a non-starter, according to a copy of the guidance obtained by The Hill. Democrats are pursuing other back-up plans with the Senate referee, according to a source familiar with Democrats' strategy.
Changing the registry date is a "weighty policy change and our analysis of this issue is thus largely the same" as for Democrats' previous proposal to provide legal permanent resident status to some immigrants, MacDonough told Democrats in her guidance.
"It's unfortunate. I disagree with her ... but we'll go to plan C," said Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.).
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said he was “disappointed” in the ruling and that it left them with “limited” options.
“[But] it still involved legal permanent residency; we knew we still had a real challenge,” Durbin said about the push to get a change in the registry date.
Democrats had initially pitched MacDonough on using their spending bill to provide 8 million green cards to immigrants in four groups: "Dreamers," who came to the U.S. illegally as children; temporary protected status (TPS) holders; agricultural workers and other essential workers. But she rejected that earlier this month, saying that it was "not appropriate" for reconciliation, the budget process Democrats are using to bypass the filibuster on their spending bill.
read more here: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/574534-senate-parliamentarian-rules-out-democrats-immigration-plan-b
Replies
Thank goodness for the Senate Parlimentarian. I am cerain the demockrats are going to try again. Why is it so difficult for demockrats to understand that without a border; there is no country? Why is it so difficult for them to understand the majority of the citizens of the USA don't want to be invaded by the illegal aliens. They are not undocumented anything - they are nothing by terrorists (but then again, it certainly looks like the demockrats are also)!
Demoncrats SUCK
A "Turd" by any other name can never be listen for a "Rose!"
Lynn Bryant DeSpain
The Democrat Party believes existing law can be completely ignored while working on changing it... any illegal alien making it to the border today is basically given a permanent residence status by EO... I might ad an illegal EO. But, the rule of law is not what matters to the Democrats they have a superior rule... called my way or the highway. It is time for the people to rise up and restore Constitutional order and the rule of law in America... start by convening a PEOPLE's GRAND JURY IN DC... indicting every member of Congress for TREASON and other high crimes...
War by institutional proxy is being waged on our Nation by those sworn to defend it... this must stop and the only way it will happen is if the People can organize effectively and in mass... by the tens of millions ... with the strength and will to do what it will take to restore Constitutional Law and order. start with removing the fraud in government representation and the courts... I fear it is too late.