Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) on Tuesday objected to a proposed vote on a Republican bill to crack down on so-called sanctuary cities, arguing they have little to do with the fate of young undocumented immigrants.
Democrats have not yielded back procedural time on the Senate floor, stalling the beginning of the immigration debate this week.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) tried to get the ball rolling by proposing a vote on an amendment proposed by Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) addressing sanctuary cities, jurisdictions that refuse to help federal officials with immigration enforcement. Schumer immediately objected to that move.
“The proposal he just offered does not address the underlying issues of this debate, why we’re here. It doesn’t address Dreamers nor does it address border security,” Schumer argued.
That drew a swift rebuke from Republicans, who expressed irritation over the delaying tactic after Democrats demanded an immigration debate on the Senate floor for weeks.
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