'Everybody Has to Make a Really Final Effort': Senators Push for Immigration Solution by Weekend

WASHINGTON – Senators believe now is the time for immigration reform and they're deep into negotiations. They hope the right compromise will help them get the 60 votes needed to pass their version by the end of this week.

"If there's 60 votes for any of these proposals here in the Senate, we should be able to discover that because we've been talking about this for months," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said Tuesday.

Conservatives are pushing for the Secure and Succeed Act, modeled after President Donald Trump's immigration framework.

"This is a good solution in which everybody gets something they want," Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) told CBN News.

The bill provides a pathway to citizenship for around 1.8 million Dreamers, designates $25 billion for a border wall, ends the visa lottery program and strengthens law enforcement efforts to fight human and drug trafficking.
 
"If Democrats want a solution, we have a solution," said Cassidy. "If they want an issue to campaign on, trying to rouse up folks, that's a cynical manipulation of people's lives. I hope they want a solution and not an issue."

Another option is the plan by Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain and Delaware Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, which protects Dreamers but leaves out the $25 billion for the president's border wall.
 
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) says he doesn't know if either plan can pass, but voting on them will at least help move things forward.

"If these proposals fail, the body will continue to work its bipartisan will for a bill that can pass," said Schumer. "It's difficult finding 60 votes for something that meets the needs of both sides and can meet the needs of the Dreamers, and border security is not easy."

Schumer says Democrats want just two things: Protect the Dreamers and get 60 votes.

"This is the closest we've come, and everybody has to make a really final effort," declared Schumer.

McConnell says senators have had plenty of time to debate the issue, and there's no reason they can't reach a bipartisan solution before the weekend.