U.S. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is urging Democrat and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer along with the chamber’s 49 other Democrats to ignore a ruling by the parliamentarian saying the addition of amnesty inside the $3.5 trillion spending program breaks rules about reconciliation.
Earlier, Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough said that the inclusion an amnesty for millions of illegals would be a disallowed expenditure since it would likely increase the nation’s debt.
“The reasons that people risk their lives getting to this nation – to escape political and religious persecution, war, famine and unspeakable violence – cannot be seen in federal dollars,” she said in her ruling. “The policy changes of this measure outweigh the financial impact linked to it and it is not appropriate inside reconciliation.”
Chad Pergram of Fox News said, “Reconciliation bills, which Dems were using to get around the filibuster, must be only fiscal in nature and cannot add to America’s deficit. It was thought that this push to add immigration was too much about policy.”
“We are very disappointed but the fight to give lawful status for immigrants inside budget reconciliation will go on. We will keep fighting to pursue the best way forward to give them the ability to get lawful status,” Democrat Schumer, N.Y., said via Twitter. “Senate Dems have prepared different proposals and will be having more meetings with the Senate parliamentarian in the next days.”
We are deeply disappointed in this decision but the fight to provide lawful status for immigrants in budget reconciliation continues.
We will continue fighting to pursue the best path forward to grant them the ability to obtain lawful status.
My statement: pic.twitter.com/5VZjx0D6JT
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) September 20, 2021
But Omar, a member of the very liberal House “Squad,” nevertheless asked for Chuck Schumer to push aside MacDonough’s decision and include the amnesty measure anyway.
“This ruling is only a recommendation. Senator Schumer and the White House can and should ignore it. We cannot miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to do what is right,” Omar said via Twitter.
This ruling by the parliamentarian, is only a recommendation. @SenSchumer and the @WhiteHouse can and should ignore it.
We can’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to do the right thing. https://t.co/r1T7T7uQIP
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) September 20, 2021
According to the measure, the spending bill gives legal status, and eventually citizenship, to millions of illegals brought into the U.S. as children. Also, it would allow more to get green cards, including agricultural workers and those given Temporary Protected Status due to dangerous conditions in their home countries.
Nevertheless, the ruling is currently a big setback for Dems and the Biden White House.
A big loss for Democrats in their push to legalize undocumented immigrants as part of the reconcilation bill. The Senate parliamentarian rejects the Dems’ arguments and says the “policy changes of this proposal far outweigh the budgetary impact” pic.twitter.com/DzCMMICAsh
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 20, 2021
Author: Steven Sinclaire
