WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden’s broad immigration plan met with rapid resistance from the top Senate Republicans, including some who advocated a similar effort eight years ago.
Immigration activists widely praised the legislative proposal, but the Senate’s top advisers in both parties expressed skepticism that there is a way, at least without major changes, to win the 60 votes needed to defeat an obstruction, which means at least 10 votes from the Republican Party.
Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., A key figure in the reform of the “Gang of Eight” in 2013, which passed the Senate but died in the Republican-controlled House, called her a non-incumbent.
“There are many issues that I think we can work cooperatively with President-elect Biden, but a general amnesty for people who are here illegally will not be one of them,” he said in a statement on Tuesday, the day before Biden was sworn in. .
Senator Lindsey Graham, RS.C., said he doubted that Biden’s plan could pass, describing it as “on the left” of the 2013 legislation that he helped draft, citing fewer provisions to strengthen border security.
Graham, who took a tougher right-wing stance during the Trump administration, said the most likely outcome is a minor agreement centered on codifying the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which President Barack Obama unilaterally established.
“I think the space in a 50-50 Senate would probably be some kind of DACA agreement,” Graham said on Thursday. “Comprehensive immigration is going to be difficult to sell, given this environment, but I think doing DACA is possible.”
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Rubio and Graham are the two remaining members of the Republican Party of the group that drafted the 2013 bill, making their resistance a significant warning for Biden. His plan would grant an eight-year path to citizenship for about 11 million people who are illegally in the U.S. after going through background checks and paying their taxes, while linking green cards to economic conditions and easing restrictions to the asylum.
In a symbolic recognition of the United States as a nation of immigrants, Biden’s plan would also change the word “foreigner” to “non-citizen” in the context of immigration law.
Of the 13 Republican senators who voted on the 2013 immigration bill, only five remain: Rubio, Graham, John Hoeven of North Dakota, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. It was produced after Obama’s victory in re-election, when many Republican elites decided that the party needed to adopt a more liberal immigration policy. But Donald Trump reversed the calculation in his 2016 presidential campaign, which mobilized conservative voters around an anti-immigration platform.
The Republican Party’s campaign arm in the Senate, which is focused on recapturing the majority in 2022, quickly dubbed Biden’s immigration plan “amnesty and open borders”.
Even if all 50 Democrats unite, finding 10 Republicans for the bill would be a difficult task.
“I don’t think I can count to one,” said a Republican Party aide who was not authorized to speak about the plan’s prospects, arguing that the path to citizenship is “a problem” for Republicans.
The aide suggested that Biden’s plan was an attempt to placate progressives, not a “take it or leave it” product. Adding border provisions may help, but it may not be enough, the aide said.
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Destroyed Biden’s plan on Thursday, calling it “a massive proposal for a general amnesty that would destroy the application of American law while creating new ones. huge incentives for people to run here illegally at the same time. “
Senator Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Said he has “very serious concerns” about Biden’s immigration policy. He is holding a Senate vote to confirm Alejandro Mayorkas as secretary of homeland security, saying that Mayorkas should first explain how he would enforce immigration laws.
Sens. Tim Scott, RS.C., and Ben Sasse, R-Neb., Said on Thursday that they will study the plan more closely before commenting.
Among Democrats in both chambers, Biden’s plan was met with much praise.
“I personally would support all the elements in it,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii.
Some Democrats want to make the plan more progressive.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Called the proposal “very, very strong”, but said she wanted more provisions related to the detention of immigrants.
“It is so wonderful to have a president who is finally looking at immigrants in a positive way,” she said.
What if Republicans block the bill in the Senate?
“Reform the obstruction if Republicans refuse to agree,” said Jayapal.
A senior Democratic official said that Republicans did not seem to have a political appetite for a comprehensive immigration review, saying, “I don’t know where to start to find 10.”
The official said an obstruction of immigration reform, as well as other Democratic priorities, such as the protection of voting rights, would increase debate within the party over the abolition of the 60-vote rule.