The Senate Judiciary Committee held a 7 1/2-hour hearing yesterday on the 844-page immigration bill crafted by the so-called “gang of eight,” beginning a long and grueling amendment process that is expected to last for several weeks. Some Republican critics of the bill insisted that the bill include considerably greater border security and control measure before allowing undocumented immigrants to begin earning legal status. The bill currently provides $7 billion in funding for additional fencing, serial drones, and border agents.
As the debate began, several Republicans called for a change proposed by Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), ranking Republican on the committee, that would require federal law enforcement authorities to establish operational control of the entire border for six months before allowing illegal immigrants to enter a path to citizenship. The committee rejected the amendment by a vote of 12 to 6, with all 10 Democrats and two Republicans rejecting it. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), who helped negotiate the bill, has said he agrees that border provisions must be strengthened in the bill in order to have a chance in the GOP-controlled House.
Overall, the committee yesterday wrestled over 32 proposed changes to the bill and adopted 21 amendments, including eight offered by Republicans. Democrats and two Republicans on the committee who helped negotiate the legislation indicated that yesterday’s results are evidence that they were committed to a bipartisan process to improve the bill, which represents the most far reaching changes in the U.S. immigration system in three decades.
Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT) has said he hopes to finish the debate on up to 300 amendments by the end of the month and send the bill to the full Senate in June.
