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“I was blocked by the filibuster five times from passing it. I had a majority, I didn’t have 60 votes. Am I 60 now? I think I’m close.” , the Illinois Democrat told CNN’s Dana Bash. “State of the Union” Sunday.
Durbin, the second Senate Democrat, said he plans to sit down with Republican members and ask them if they would consider supporting the DREAM Act, which would allow undocumented immigrant youth known as “Dreamers”. »To reside permanently – and potentially to become a citizen.
“I think I will have some support. It remains to be seen whether this is enough,” he said.
Durbin previously told CNN he didn’t think there was enough support in this Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration bill that would overhaul the U.S. immigration system and provide a roadmap. citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country.
On Sunday, Durbin said he supported President Joe Biden’s immigration plan, the 2021 Citizenship Act, and called it “long overdue,” but reiterated his belief that it would be difficult to pass in the Senate divided at 50-50.
Durbin’s comments come as the Biden administration faces increasingly scrutiny over its handling of a recent surge in border crossings, including an influx of unaccompanied migrant children that the US government is scrambling for. host. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told Bash on Sunday in the same program that the southern border is currently closed to migrants, but that the administration “will not abandon the needs of vulnerable children.”
The House this week passed two separate immigration bills aimed at giving beneficiaries of the Deferred Action Program for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, a path to citizenship and expanding the agricultural worker program of the country.
Both of these bipartisan measures, however, face a surge in the Senate, which renews debate among Democrats over removing Senate filibustering.
Durbin is open to lowering the threshold to break an obstruction and has said on CNN that he wants his colleagues in the Senate “to prove to me under the current rules, with the obstruction requiring 60 votes, that we can actually produce something. . “
“I want to tell you something, as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, we desperately need to rewrite our immigration laws to end this mess at the border and to end the problems we are facing,” said Durbin said, adding: “It’s a challenge for my colleagues to make it work. Right now we know that the 60 vote requirement can prevent the Senate from doing meaningful activity.”
Biden told ABC News he would support changing the Senate filibuster rule by bringing back filibustering, forcing a senator seeking to block legislation to stand up and argue. While the filibuster rule still requires 60 votes to end debate on a bill, it would halt all Senate business until the filibuster ends. Current Senate rules allow other business to continue while a bill is obstructed.
“I certainly support the filibuster as positive evidence that if someone is worried enough to stop the Senate in its tracks, tell the Senate that you cannot even consider the measure before you. Is it too much to ask them to stand up? their office to show that personal commitment? Durbin told CNN on Sunday.
This story was updated with additional details on Sunday.
CNN’s Manu Raju and Kate Sullivan contributed to this report.
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