http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/231616-immigration-bill-stalls-in-senateBy Alexander Bolton - 02/03/15 02:57 PM EST
The Senate on Tuesday failed to move forward with a House-approved bill overturning President Obama’s executive actions on immigration.
Most of the Senate’s 55 Republicans backed the motion to proceed to the bill in the 51-48 vote, but GOP Sen. Dean Heller (Nev.) voted against even considering the legislation.
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) also switched his vote to "no" to preserve his ability to bring the legislation back to the floor.
Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) missed the vote and one earlier in the day because of flight problems from Chicago.
All of the chamber’s Democrats voted against the procedural move.
The next step for McConnell is unclear.
The language reversing Obama’s executive actions is attached to legislation funding the Homeland Security Department through the end of the fiscal year. Without a new funding bill, the department, which includes the Transportation Security Administration, Secret Service and Coast Guard, would partially shut down after Feb. 27.
Many of the agency’s employees would continue to go to work, but a shutdown would leave Republicans open to criticism from the White House that they are putting security at risk.
The House bill is a non-starter in the Senate, but it could be difficult to convince House conservatives to back legislation funding the Homeland Security agency that stops short over overturning Obama’s controversial immigration actions, which are allowing millions of people to stay in the United States without being deported.
Republican senators said earlier in the day they were not certain of the next steps if Democrats filibustered the measure.
Congress has little time to find a solution; lawmakers are only expected to be in session for two more weeks in February. They are scheduled to take the week of President’s Day off.
The House legislation would block funding for the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows certain children to get work permits and live in the United States even if they entered the country illegally or overstayed a visa.
It would also reverse another action from November that would shield the immediate family of citizens and permanent residents from deportation.
Some Republicans expressed concern before the vote that funding for the Homeland Security Department should not be risked over a fight on immigration.
The measure suffered a spate of GOP defections when it passed the House in mid-January.
Ten House Republicans voted against the appropriations bill. Twenty-six voted against the amendment to halt Obama’s executive order on DACA. The amendment was approved narrowly, 218-209.
Several Senate Republicans predicted they could vote several more times on the House-passed Homeland Security bill to increase political pressure on Democrats and show House conservatives they are waging a concerted battle. Some House lawmakers have criticized the Senate GOP of getting ready to give up without a fight.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), a leading conservative, predicted McConnell would schedule additional votes on the motion to proceed.
“We need to do everything we can to push what was passed by the House of Representatives through,” he said. “I think we’re going to stay at it, I don’t think we’re just going to walk away from it.”
A senior Senate Democratic aide, however, said McConnell can only bring the motion back to the floor for a vote once before having to redo the lengthy process for ending a filibuster.
If McConnell files again for cloture, a third vote would have to wait until next week.
“That just seems like a stupid waste of time,” said the aide.
