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Congressional leaders are jockeying for position in the legislative battle to keep the government open that is expected to dominate their final weeks in session this year.
Democrats driven to win a legislative fix to an Obama-era program allowing hundreds of thousands of young immigrants to stay and work in the United States signaled flexibility.
Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) in a statement accepting an invitation to meet at the White House on Thursday said a “bipartisan deal” could be found to pass the “DREAM Act along with tough border security measures.”
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Senate GOP leaders struck a harder line, with Whip John Cornyn (Texas) saying there is “no way” a year-end spending bill will include language to protect the young immigrants.
Cornyn spoke a day after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declared it a “ridiculous position” for Democrats to say that a fix on the issue had to come as part of the funding bill.
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At the same time, both McConnell and Cornyn have suggested that Republicans can agree to a deal on the “Dreamers,” with Cornyn saying it could come before March.
“I’d be happy to do it earlier but not as part of the spending bill, no way,” he said.
The government will shut down on Saturday without a short-term deal to keep funding going.
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While a number of Republicans in both chambers would like to see a fix for the Dreamers, many conservatives oppose action.
In the Democratic Party, some lawmakers warn of an insurrection if they don’t get a win on the Dreamers issue.
Brent Wilkes, chief executive officer of the League of Latin American Citizens, said failure to reach an agreement this year would be “a complete disaster.”
“It’s important for the parties to get together and get this done and stop delaying,” he added.
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Democrats wondered whether Cornyn is trying to scuttle a deal by making tough demands.
He told reporters Monday afternoon that Democrats haven’t even dignified his negotiating position with a counteroffer, raising doubts about whether they’re serious about getting a deal this mont
“I told Sen. Durbin there’s no reason we couldn’t do something earlier rather than later, but [they] refuse to propose a counteroffer to what was formally offered to them and that makes it hard because we are currently at an impasse,” Cornyn said.
“It makes it harder to get a deal so it may well force us to do it in January or February,” he added.
But Democrats dispute this. They say Durbin gave Cornyn a good-faith counteroffer on the Senate floor Friday morning that would have agreed to 12 separate provisions in Cornyn’s bill in exchange for protecting Dreamers.
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http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3...le-intensifies
Cornyn is a fucking snake . He’s always voted against CIR and any legalization efforts. He talks a good game , but he has no intention of letting anything pass. Dems need to use their leverage and play hard ball with that snake .