Schumer ‘actively exploring’ granting citizenship to undocumented immigrants without GOP support.
May 7, 2021
Chuck Schumer, the Democrat Senate Majority Leader, told members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that he is “actively exploring” ways to grant citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants through budget reconciliation. This strategy would require a simple majority vote in the Senate, rather than the filibuster-proof threshold of 60 votes required for most legislation. Schumer is reportedly considering passing the citizenship bill along with President Biden’s infrastructure bill through reconciliation, should negotiations over a standalone immigration bill break down. It is believed that he will argue that there is precedent for using the procedure to change immigration policy.