Democrats approach Senate parliamentarian for 8 million green cards.
September 14, 2021
On Friday, Democrats pitched their plan to Elizabeth MacDonough, the nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian regarding offering 8 million immigrants citizenship. Democrats appear ready to pursue immigration reform in a $3.5T spending bill, but first must convince MacDonough, a former immigration lawyer who has discarded key priorities for both parties in budget reconciliation measures in recent years. Democratic Senate staffers, together with Senate leadership staffers, met with MacDonough to make their case that the immigration plan complies with the rules that govern what can be included in the spending package. However, Speaker Pelosi said that “we are limited in what the parliamentarian in the Senate will allow…and that is most unfortunate.”