A former Republican state senator says D.C. lawmakers should consider going as far as replacing the chamber’s rules expert to make people citizens.
Bloomberg News and The Hill reported Tuesday that Senate Democrats have pitched “Plan B” for adding immigration reform to their now back-burnered $3.5 trillion social spending bill.
The Senate Parliamentarian decides if a new Democrat proposal can be part of a bill, which can pass without Republican support through a process called reconciliation.
This came up often during a talk hosted by the Migration Policy Institute as part of the think tank’s yearly immigration law and policy conference.
On the panel was Bob Worsley, former Arizona lawmaker now with the American Business Immigration Coalition. He said the White House must acknowledge it won’t get GOP help on the issue.
“I think all pressure should be placed on reconciliation to get something done,” he said.
A White House official told the panel that if the Parliamentarian rejects more Democrat plans to make people citizens, efforts could change to getting them work permits and protection from deportation.
Worsley said if the rules expert rules the proposal out of bounds, his business group could try to get GOP support through compromise.
“I think we’re wasting our breath. The truth is reconciliation must be wrung for everything we can get out of it,” he said.
