Senate Republicans are looking to move an immigration bill to the floor early next year, despite a push by Democrats to pass legislation before the end of 2017 that would protect nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
Republicans say there’s not enough time to pass a fix for those under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program before year’s end, noting that the 2017 calendar is already packed with work on tax reform and President Trump’s nominees.
“I think it’s more likely than not to be part of a January-February timeframe,” said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas), who discussed the issue at a meeting with Trump on Thursday.
While Republicans are ruling out the possibility of including immigration legislation in a year-end spending bill, Democrats — led by Sen. Kamala Harris (Calif.) — have mulled blocking the government funding package unless in includes language to help so-called Dreamers.
“It won’t be part of the omnibus. That’s the pipe dream of some of the Democrats who think this will be swept up in the year-end spending bill,” Cornyn said.
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