“I was stopped by the obstruction five times before I passed. I had the majority, I didn’t have 60 votes. Do I have 60 now? I think I’m close,” the Democrat from Illinois told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” Sunday.
Durbin, the Senate’s second Democrat, said he plans to sit down with Republican members and ask if they would consider supporting the DREAM Act, which would allow undocumented young immigrants known as “Dreamers” permanent residency – and potentially citizenship.
“I think I will have some support. It remains to be seen if it is enough,” he said.
Durbin previously told CNN that he does not believe there is enough support in this Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration bill that would overhaul the U.S. immigration system and provide a citizenship roadmap for the country’s 11 million undocumented immigrants.
On Sunday, Durbin said he supported President Joe Biden’s immigration plan, the 2021 Citizenship Act, and called it “too late,” but reiterated his belief that it would be difficult to pass in the 50-50 Senate party division. .
Durbin’s comments come at a time when the Biden government is facing increasing scrutiny about how it is dealing with a recent increase in border crossings, including an influx of unaccompanied migrant children that the U.S. government is struggling to harbor. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told Bash on the same program on Sunday that the southern border is currently closed to migrants, but that the government “will not abandon the needs of vulnerable children”.
The Chamber passed two separate immigration bills this week to give recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, a path to citizenship and to expand the country’s agricultural workers program.
These two bipartisan measures, however, face a rise in the Senate, which is renewing the debate among Democrats about destroying the Senate obstruction.
Durbin is open to lowering the limit for breaking an obstruction and said on CNN that he wants his colleagues in the Senate “to prove to me under the current rules, with the obstruction requiring 60 votes, that we can actually produce something.”
“I want to tell you something, as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, we desperately need to rewrite our immigration laws to prevent this mess at the border and to prevent the problems we face,” said Durbin, adding, “It is a challenge for my colleagues to make it work. At the moment, we know that the 60-vote requirement can prevent the Senate from meaningful activities. “
Biden told ABC News that he would support changing the Senate obstruction rule, bringing back talking obstruction, which requires a senator who seeks to block legislation to stay on the floor and argue. Although the spoken obstruction rule still requires 60 votes to end debate on a bill, it would halt all business in the Senate floor until the obstruction is over. Current Senate rules allow other businesses to continue while a bill is being obstructed.
“I certainly support the talking obstructionist as positive proof that if someone cares enough to stop the Senate in its tracks, tell the Senate that you can’t even consider the measure that is in front of you. It is asking them to keep your desk steady to show that personal commitment? “Durbin told CNN on Sunday.
This story was updated with additional details on Sunday.
CNN’s Manu Raju and Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.
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