Pelosi and Biden push immigration reform into a $3.5 trillion spending bill

Joe Biden

Pelosi and Biden push immigration reform into a $3.5 trillion spending bill

During a news conference on Friday with the House Democratic leadership, Pelosi (D-Calif.) endorsed the move, saying that her colleagues are in an "excellent condition."

"I think immigration has to be in reconciliation, and part of that, in reconciliation," she said. "We know we have a perfect case to include."

The budget compromise allows the majority party to bypass legislative stalling; the Senate's rule requires 60 members to debate most topics and proceed with a vote.

Pelosi's comments come a day after similar remarks by President Biden.

Biden had met earlier in the day with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman and Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-D) and Senate Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ), two of the Senate's leaders on immigration reform, as well as Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Ben Ray Logan (D-NM). Together, the group discussed budgeting a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, and people initially promised such under Obama's Deferred Action Program for Childhood Arrivals.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) (C) speaks to reporters outside the Oval Office after meeting with US President Joe Biden on July 29, 2021, in Washington, DC. Hispanic Congressmen and Senate and House leadership on the Judiciary Committee met with President Biden to discuss the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) program.

Democrats such as Representative Jerry Nadler (center) are leading the bill.

Also present at the meeting were House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), House Latino Caucus Chair Raul Ruiz (D-CA), and fellow California Democrats Linda Sanchez, Zoe Lofgren, Pete Aguilar, and Lucille Royal-Allard. House of Representatives of Congress.

"He knows the challenges we face. He is with us. He has made it very clear to us that he stands by our efforts."

Senate Democrats are looking to pass the reconciliation budget before the August recess, which begins August 9. To give it, Democrats would need all of their members to vote for it, with the Senate divided by 50-50. Vice President Kamala Harris, as Speaker of the Senate, has a tie-breaking vote.

DACA safeguards up for discussion as Biden meets with Democratic lawmakers. Under the reconciliation process, some measures on revenue, spending, and debt can be approved by a minimum of 51 votes, which is why Democrats are seeking it. This process allows them to bypass the near-certain disruption from the Republicans.

But there's a catch: a nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian can rule to repeal any item not directly related to the budget or items. The budget's effect is "only incidental" to intended policy changes.

In a statement, Cortez Masto provided details about items Democrats could choose to include in the $3.5 trillion packages, such as a path to citizenship for farmworkers, essential workers from the pandemic, and those who already have temporary protected status.