The Associated Press reported late on Sunday evening that the Senate parliamentarian has indicated that Democrats cannot include a pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens in the their massive $3.5 trillion social-spending bill.
WASHINGTON (AP) — AP source: Senate parliamentarian says $3.5T bill can’t include citizenship path for immigrants, big blow to Biden, Dems.
— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) September 20, 2021
Fox News congressional correspondent Chad Pergram later confirmed the report, writing: “A preliminary ruling from Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough, obtained by Fox, would bar Democrats from adding immigration provisions to the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill.”
“Democrats did not have firm legislative text nor a total price tag for the bill. So it’s hard to see how there is an absolute ruling on this,” Pergram said. “But, budget reconciliation bills, which Democrats were using to avoid a filibuster, must be strictly fiscal in nature and can’t add to the deficit. It was believed that this push to add immigration to the bill was too policy driven.”
“This is a blow to Democrats and progressives who pushed to add immigration provisions to the bill. This will cause problems if Democrats have to slash the total size of the size of the legislation to mollify moderate Democrats,” Pergram continued. “It was thought that lopping immigration provisions into the bill could help placate liberals if Democrats have to trim the size of the legislation.”
Pergram added that the key part from MacDonough’s decision was that including immigration as part of reconciliation “is further evidence that the policy changes of this proposal far outweigh the budgetary impact scored to it and it is not appropriate for inclusion in reconciliation.”
A big loss for Democrats in their push to legalize undocumented immigrants as part of the reconcilation bill. The Senate parliamentarian rejects the Dems’ arguments and says the “policy changes of this proposal far outweigh the budgetary impact” pic.twitter.com/DzCMMICAsh
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 20, 2021
The news comes after Axios reported on Sunday afternoon that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), who is one of the most powerful Democrats in Washington, D.C., due to his moderate policy stances in a 50-50 split Senate, wants to delay voting on Biden’s $3.5 leftist wish list until 2022.
“Manchin’s new timeline — if he insists on it — would disrupt the plans by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to vote on the budget reconciliation package this month,” Axios reported. The report said that any delay from Manchin, who is not part of the far-left-wing of the Democrat Party, could “imperil House passage of the separate $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, which Pelosi has promised to pass by Sept. 27.”
Biden reportedly called Manchin earlier this year and told him regarding Democrats’ massive coronavirus stimulus bill, “If you don’t come along, you’re really f***ing me.”
Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), who has surprisingly been more moderate than most ever expected her to be, is also reportedly opposed to Biden’s massive bill, although she’s not as public about it.
Biden’s attempt to pass the $3.5 trillion bill comes as inflation has skyrocketed under his leadership following trillions in spending that has taken place in a mere matter of months with Democrats in control of the federal government.
Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC), House Majority Whip, told CNN on Sunday that “sometimes, you have to kind of stop the clock to get to the goal.”
“And so it may be 3.5,” Clyburn added. “It may be close to that, or it may be closer to something else.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a far-left socialist, complained on CBS News on Sunday morning that the $3.5 trillion was way too low as the far-left was already forced to cut back from the $6 trillion bill that they wanted.
“Look, right now what we are doing is we are engaging with the House and the Senate,” Sanders said. “It is a complicated proposal. All I am telling you is the $3.5 trillion is much too low. A compromise has already been made; an agreement has been made.”
This article has been expanded after publication to include additional information.