Arizona Senator Jeff Flake is anticipating DACA legislation to be introduced in Congress early in 2018.
He has the support of House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Flake said he voted for the recent tax reform legislation following assurances from House legislators that they would try to enact permanent protections for recipients of DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals immigration policy.
“Speaker Ryan is certainly committed to it. He’s always been in favor of fixing the DACA issue and doing broader immigration reform. I think that they can do it. It just won’t be with Republican votes only,” Flake said.
He also emphasized the need to create legislation that both Republicans and Democrats can accept, and said, “We’re out of reconciliation in the Senate, so whatever we pass has to pass with 60 votes. That means we have to have a bipartisan bill.”
Flake said to achieve such requires earnest negotiations on expanding the number of Dreamers, green card holders and those with full citizenship.