Senate rejects bipartisan measure as immigration votes begin

The Senate has blocked an immigration measure sponsored by Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Christopher Coons (D-Del.) that did not include money for President Trump’s border wall.

The amendment fell in a 52-47 vote. It needed 60 votes to overcome a procedural hurdle set up for four different immigration measures the Senate will vote on Thursday.

Each of the four proposals appear to be short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.

{mosads}The McCain–Coons bill would provide a path to citizenship for more than 1.8 million immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children. It would also require the Department of Homeland Security to secure the border by 2021. 

The bill was widely expected to fall short because it did not meet Trump’s demand for $25 billion in funding for the wall. It also did not include changes to two legal immigration programs that Trump wants to change.

The Department of Homeland Security criticized the legislation, but it had drawn support from Democrats.

McCain, who is undergoing treatment for brain cancer, missed the vote.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), who is up for reelection in a state Trump won by more than 40 points, opposed the plan.

Republican Sens. Jeff Flake (Ariz.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Cory Gardner (Colo.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) supported it. 

The Senate will also vote on an amendment to crack down on sanctuary cities, a bipartisan measure backed by centrists, and legislation that largely mirrors Trump’s “four pillars” proposal for immigration. It includes border security, a pathway to citizenship for the 1.8 million immigrants and changes to two legal immigration programs.

The Senate began in immigration floor debate this week, using a “shell” bill unrelated to immigration as the base legislation for the talks.