DREAMERS/IMMIGRATION/POLITICS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Senate’s much-hyped immigration debate ended in a megaflop on Thursday [2-15-18]. Every proposal that got considered fell short of the Senate’s 60-vote threshold, leaving the undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers in limbo and lawmakers with nothing to show for weeks of negotiations. A bipartisan agreement was rejected 54-45, after a furious White House campaign to defeat it, including a Thursday veto threat. It would have given an estimated 1.8 million undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship while spending $25 billion on border security.
In the end, only eight Republicans joined all but three Democrats in support of the proposal… But in a blow to Trump, a GOP amendment to enshrine his four-part immigration framework, including cuts to legal immigration, was defeated by an even wider margin — 39-60. The upshot is stalemate, despite long-running negotiations, particularly among the bipartisan group of mostly moderate senators.
Two other amendments were also rejected: a narrower plan with no border wall funding from Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) on a 52-47 vote, and a sanctuary cities measure from Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) on a 54-45 vote... The White House’s veto threat against the bipartisan agreement singled out its language directing enforcement officers to, when it comes to the removal of undocumented immigrants who have broken no other laws, prioritize individuals who arrived in the country after June 30, 2018.”
-Elana Schor and Burgess Everett, “Senate immigration debate ends in failure,” Politico, Feb. 15, 2018 04:40pm