Senate parliamentarian kills Democrat plan to grant mass amnesty to illegal immigrants



The Senate parliamentarian on Wednesday shot down the Democrats' plan to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants without going through the normal process of building consensus among lawmakers and voting to change the law.

Democrats have promised that widespread amnesty would be included in their $3.5 trillion spending bill, which they aim to pass through a process called budget reconciliation to deny Republicans the opportunity to filibuster and kill the bill. However, Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough told lawmakers that their attempt to update the immigration registry through budget reconciliation violates Senate rules, CQ Roll Call reports.

The plan involved changing the date on the immigration registry, which is currently set at 1972, to permit immigrants who have resided in the U.S. since then and demonstrated "good moral character" to become legal permanent residents. The idea to update the national immigration registry was a backup plan Democrats formed after the parliamentarian rejected their first attempt to include amnesty in the $3.5 trillion bill.

However, MacDonough reportedly told Senate Democrats that amnesty would be a "weighty policy change" and that any bill that would grant millions of illegal immigrants in the United States the right to stay here legally and seek U.S. citizenship is unlikely to meet the requirements for a budget reconciliation bill.

"The change in status to LPR [lawful permanent residency] remains a life-long change in circumstances the value of which vastly outweighs its budgetary impact," she said.

The Senate parliamentarian ruled against Democrats’ *second* bid to legalize undocumented immigrants through budget… https://t.co/jWmyjr9SkH

— Camilo Montoya-Galvez (@camiloreports) 1632941169.0

Reacting, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said the parliamentarian's decision is a "disappointment" and acknowledged Democrats' options for passing amnesty are "limited."

""As people live desperate lives for fear of a knock on the door and no future for the kids, unfortunately we can't find the language to clear for the reconciliation that might help them," Durbin told Roll Call. "But yeah, we're gonna keep trying."

Other Senate Democrats voiced similar disappointment. Progressive activists online expressed outrage. Pro-amnesty groups protested outside the residence of Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington, D.C., demanding that she act as president of the Senate to overrule the recommendation from the parliamentarian.

🚨 HAPPENING NOW: We are outside @VP Kamala Harris’ house reminding her that she can and has the power to ignore the… https://t.co/haFiCORHpv

— United We Dream Action (@UWDAction) 1632937313.0

The parliamentarian's ruling leaves Democrats with a few options. They could ignore the ruling and invoke the nuclear option to change the Senate's rules to pass amnesty for illegal aliens without the 60-vote threshold required by an inevitable filibuster from Republicans.

Or, lawmakers could negotiate a compromise and win a bipartisan consensus that meets the 60-vote threshold to break a filibuster from the minority — in other words, use the normal process of public debate and persuasion to make progress in Congress. But that's unheard of.

Sen. Sinema opposes Democrats' $3.5 trillion price tag for spending bill



Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) has upset the Democratic Party's plans to pass a $3.5 trillion spending bill that contains major components of President Joe Biden's progressive agenda, telling the Arizona Republic on Wednesday that she doesn't support the plan's price tag.

Sinema said she has reviewed the Senate Budget Committee's framework for the budget reconciliation package and told the president and Democratic leaders that she supports their goals of economic growth.

"I have also made clear that while I will support beginning this process, I do not support a bill that costs $3.5 trillion — and in the coming months, I will work in good faith to develop this legislation with my colleagues and the administration to strengthen Arizona's economy and help Arizona's everyday families get ahead," Sinema said in a statement.

Her opposition to the $3.5 trillion package puts Senate Democrats in a bind. With a slim 50-50 majority, Democrats cannot afford to have moderates like Sinema or Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) defect from any major vote. They need all 50 Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris' tiebreaking support to pass Biden's so-called "human infrastructure" priorities, which include expanding Medicare, free community college tuition, national paid family leave, extending Biden's revamped child tax credits, and various climate change policies watered down from the Green New Deal.

Democrats intended to have this $3.5 trillion advance along with a bipartisan agreement for a $1.2 trillion "hard infrastructure" package, which would provide funding for roads, bridges, and other projects traditionally associated with infrastructure spending.

Sinema has been working with Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) to put together a deal that will win support from 10 Senate Republicans, providing the Senate with the necessary 60 votes to overcome a filibuster and pass compromise legislation. The White House wants a bipartisan deal very badly, as Biden had promised unity and bipartisan compromise would be key features of his presidency.

On Wednesday, Sinema met with the president to report on the progress she's made negotiating with Republicans on issues like funding for transit, broadband, and water systems. Senate Democrats believe they have a compromise that will overcome a filibuster attempt, the New York Times and Politico reported.

"While bringing both parties together can seem impossible these days, Arizonans elected me to do the hard work," she told the Arizona Republic. "Our historic legislation would make the strongest investment in America's critical infrastructure in a century — creating Arizona jobs, expanding economic opportunities for our state, securing our water future, and protecting our communities from wildfires."

However, progressive Democrats want the Biden administration to swing for the fences on progressive priorities and ignore Republicans entirely. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has vowed that the House will not bring a bipartisan infrastructure deal up for a vote unless the Senate also passes the $3.5 trillion Democratic bill, which Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) must force through the Senate using a process called budget reconciliation to pass it without GOP support.

She told reporters Wednesday that her position hasn't changed.

Asked Pelosi if House would commit to passing Senate bipartisan infrastructure package unchanged. “No,” she said. S… https://t.co/bysx1Gohju

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) 1627488649.0

Sinema's opposition to the $3.5 trillion price tag of the reconciliation bill means Democrats will have to cut spending from the package to win her support and move it through the Senate. If they don't pass the reconciliation bill, Pelosi will ensure that the bipartisan infrastructure bill dies in the House.

Still, there's no guarantee Pelosi will allow a watered-down reconciliation bill to have vote on the House floor either. She may instead support the progressives in her conference, who are furious with Sinema and unwilling to compromise on the reconciliation package.

"We didn't elect Sinema as President and we won't let her obstruction put a Republican in the Oval Office in 2024. It's the reconciliation bill or GOP controlling every level of government again, period," said Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).

Time for the White House to play hardball. We didn't elect Sinema as President and we won't let her obstruction put… https://t.co/VxD02ggPX0

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) 1627499510.0

One of two things will happen: Either pressure from progressives will cause Sinema to cave and support the full $3.5 trillion bill, or Biden will have to persuade Pelosi to take the best offer the House will get from Senate, else infrastructure will go nowhere.

Lindsey Graham proposes stealing play from Texas Dems over massive spending bill: 'Hell yeah I would leave'



Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) suggested Sunday that Republicans should steal from the playbook of Texas House Democrats and flee Washington, D.C., if Democrats attempt to ram through President Joe Biden's reconciliation package without GOP support.

What is the background?

Senate Democrats unveiled a $3.5 trillion package last week that seeks to advance Biden's agenda. According to the Washington Post, the package "would expand Medicare benefits, boost federal safety net programs and combat climate change."

The massive spending bill does not, however, address infrastructure. America's roads and bridges would be dealt with in a separate, $1 trillion spending bill that has bipartisan support.

Unfortunately for America's piggy bank, Democrats see the reconciliation package as a "critical companion piece" to the infrastructure agreement, according to the Post.

What did Graham say?

During an interview on Fox News, Graham said he opposes the massive spending package — and would leave Washington to deny the Senate a quorum to effectively filibuster the bill.

"Before Republicans beat up on the Democrats in Texas for leaving Texas too much, if for some reason [congressional Democrats] ... bring that bill to the floor of the United States Senate, the $3.5 trillion bill — you got to have a quorum to pass a bill in the Senate. I would leave before I'd let that happen," Graham said.

"So to my Republican colleagues, we may learn something from our Democratic friends in Texas when it comes to avoiding a $3.5 trillion tax and spend package: leave town," Graham added.

When asked by show host Maria Bartiromo whether he would, in fact, skip town to deny Democrats quorum, Graham doubled down.

"Hell yeah I would leave," Graham responded.

"I will use everything lawfully in my toolbox to prevent rampant inflation. A $3.5 trillion infrastructure package that's got nothing to do with infrastructure, that is a tax and spend dream of the of the socialist left," Graham explained. "If it takes me not showing up to stop that, I will do it."

Sen. Lindsey Graham slammed the Democratic spending package and said on Fox News that he would flee, like the Texas… https://t.co/WEKkpByOeY

— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) 1626647576.0

Anything else?

Even if Republicans did not skip town to deny quorum in the Senate, Democrats don't appear to have enough support to pass their massive reconciliation package.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), the most-moderate Democratic senator and probably the most powerful man in Washington, has said he is "very, very disturbed" about some elements of the Democratic reconciliation package, especially those targeting fossil fuels.

Still, even if Senate Democrats won Manchin's approval, he has voiced concerns over the massive spending. Manchin said last week that any legislation passed should be paid for, because, "I don't think we need more debt."