Senate parliamentarian rejects immigration reform in Democrats’ spending bill

Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has ruled against Democrats’ pitch to include immigration reform provisions in their almost $2 trillion social spending bill, in a major setback for the party in their third attempt at the effort.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he was “disappointed” with the ruling and that Democrats are “considering what options remain.”

The reform provision sought to include work permits for immigrants who have been in the U.S. since before 2011 and make available unused family-based or employment-based visas, as well as reduce immigration backlogs, among other efforts.

Democrats and Republicans made formal arguments before MacDonough earlier this month on Dec. 1, two congressional sources told NPR. Democrats argued that the work permits and other provisions would have a budgetary impact, a requirement under Senate rules for inclusion in the reconciliation process.

Democrats vowed to “pursue every means to achieve a path to citizenship” in the bill in a joint statement released after the ruling from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Durbin and a number of Latino Democrats, including Sens. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico and Alex Padilla of California.

“Throughout the entire reconciliation process, we have worked to ensure that immigration reform was not treated as an afterthought. The majority of Americans support our efforts to provide legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States because it would raise wages, create good-paying jobs, enrich our economy, and improve the lives of all Americans,” the statement said.

Democrats vowed to “pursue every means to achieve a path to citizenship” in the bill in a joint statement released after the ruling from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Durbin and a number of Latino Democrats, including Sens. Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico and Alex Padilla of California.

“Throughout the entire reconciliation process, we have worked to ensure that immigration reform was not treated as an afterthought. The majority of Americans support our efforts to provide legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants in the United States because it would raise wages, create good-paying jobs, enrich our economy, and improve the lives of all Americans,” the statement said.

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Claudia Grisales