Republicans fail for 3rd time on immigration bill

Bloomberg News (TNS)

WASHINGTON

Senate Republicans failed for the third time to advance a bill reversing President Barack Obama’s immigration orders as they try to wear down Democratic lawmakers who are unified against it.

The 52-47 vote Thursday, with 60 required to advance the bill, was a repeat of similar votes Tuesday and Wednesday. Republicans are trying to demonstrate to conservative lawmakers in the party that they are exhausting efforts to stop Obama’s directives shielding millions of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. from deportation.

They also are trying to pressure Democrats, including West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, who has been critical of Obama on immigration, to switch their votes.

“I don’t understand why they’d want to block the Senate from even debating a bill to fund homeland security,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the floor ahead of the vote. “All it requires is a little common sense and a little Democratic courage.”

Republicans are seeking to use a House-passed spending bill for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to force the president to abandon the immigration action he announced in November. The agency would face a shutdown of non-essential operations if Congress doesn’t reach agreement before current funding ends Feb. 27.

Democrats are portraying the measure as an attempt to force unrelated changes to U.S. immigration policy by holding up a bill needed to keep the nation safe from terrorist threats.

“We have these terrorist acts all over the world taking place right now,” said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat. “And we, the United States of America, are in a position where we’re not going to fund homeland security?”

Republicans control the Senate 54-46, and with 60 votes required to advance legislation, they need support from at least six Democrats. Obama has said he’d veto any measure that rolls back his directives.

Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada was the only Republican to join Democrats in voting against advancing the measure in all three votes.

The legislation would provide $39.7 billion to keep Homeland Security operating through September.