UPDATED: McConnell promises immigration debate if government reopens

Source: The Hill



BY ALEXANDER BOLTON - 01/22/18 10:29 AM EST

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Monday promised to take up an immigration bill protecting an estimated 800,000 Dreamers from deportation and allow an open amendment process if Democrats agree to reopen the government.

The Senate will vote at noon on a three-week funding resolution to end the government shutdown that began at midnight Saturday. The legislation includes an extension of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Democrats have been pressing McConnell for a vote on the Dreamers legislation, and it is unclear whether his latest commitments will be enough to win them over. With some Republicans expected to vote against the bill, nearly a dozen Democratic votes will likely be needed to clear a 60-vote procedural hurdle.

Senate Democrats and Republicans will try to negotiate an immigration compromise before the pending stopgap measure would expire on Feb. 8, if that stopgap is approved. If they fail to reach a deal, McConnell promised he will bring an immigration bill to the floor in February. But McConnell said his promise would only be good if Democrats agree to re-open the government.



Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/370081-mcconnell-promises-immigration-debate-if-government-reopens

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UPDATE

Democrats balk at McConnell's shutdown offer

Top lawmakers fear the two parties may become so entrenched that the shutdown could drag on for days.

By SEUNG MIN KIM, BURGESS EVERETT and ELANA SCHOR 01/22/2018 09:45 AM EST Updated 01/22/2018 10:32 AM EST

Washington began its third full day of the federal government shutdown on Monday without any clear plan to dig itself out of its self-inflicted mess.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has teed up a vote for noon Monday that would re-open the government through Feb. 8. He pledged Monday on the Senate floor that as long as the government remains open he will proceed to an immigration debate with a "fair" amendment process and a debate that will have a "level playing field." But so far, that doesn’t appear to be enough to persuade Senate Democrats to break the spending impasse.

"The Senate cannot make progress on any of these crucial matters until the government is reopened. We need to move forward, and the first step, the very first step, is ending the shutdown," McConnell said.

Senate moderates working on a compromise are hoping McConnell will delay the vote, but the majority leader showed no signs of budging Monday morning. A group of Democrats huddled with McConnell on the Senate floor after his remarks and before each party held private meetings that will determine the outcome of Monday's vote.

Democrats, feeling burned about the House neglecting the Senate’s immigration bill in 2013, want a more ironclad commitment from GOP leaders to take up a legislative fix to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which has given legal protections to hundreds of thousands of young immigrants.

more
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/01/22/government-shutdown-2018-senate-vote-354966