Democrats make case to Senate parliamentarian for 8 million green cardsThe Hill, Sep 10, 2021
Democrats' long-held hopes for providing a path to legal status for millions of immigrants is now in the hands of a little-known figure: The Senate parliamentarian.
Democrats pitched Elizabeth MacDonough, a nonpartisan referee, Friday on their plan to provide permanent legal status, which paves the way for a path to citizenship, for 8 million immigrants, including Dreamers, temporary protected status holders, agricultural and other essential workers.
After struggling for years to get a deal on immigration reform, and with President Biden's sweeping comprehensive plan stalled on Capitol Hill, Democrats are ready to go it alone by including their smaller plan in a sweeping $3.5 trillion social spending bill they hope to pass as soon as this month.
But first, they'll need to convince MacDonough, a former immigration lawyer who has jettisoned key priorities for both parties in budget reconciliation measures in recent years.
"You think about that all the time," Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) told The Hill about trying to figure out what will pass muster with the parliamentarian.
Democratic staffers from the Senate Judiciary and Budget committees, as well as Senate leadership staffers, met with MacDonough to make their case that the immigration plan complies with the arcane rules that govern what can be included in the spending package.
Democrats are using the budget reconciliation process to prevent the GOP from filibustering their measure in the Senate. The problem is that there are sharp limits on what can be included in such measures.
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/571724-democrats-make-case-to-senate-parliamentarian-for-8-million-green-cards?amp&__twitter_impression=true
