The Senate Democrats are willing to drop their demand that relief for Dreamers be tied to a long-term budget agreement as they had previously insisted. This is a potential boost for spending talks, but one that will likely face opposition from fellow Democrat House counterparts. This change of mind comes after a deal was struck between Senate leaders on Monday to revive the government and to begin debate on an immigration bill starting next month.
Meanwhile, budget negotiators are optimistic that a two-year agreement to lift stiff caps on defense and domestic spending is increasingly reachable. Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said on Tuesday that they were viewing immigration and spending on separate terms since they are on separate paths. Durbin added that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s “procedural concession” means that they are working with a deadline and a process. He went on to say that although it was not everything he wanted, it was a significant step forward.
House Democrats, however, may have a different sentiment over the matter. They have signaled that they are not willing to get along with a long-term budget deal without a fix to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that President Donald Trump is ending.
The senior House Democratic aide said that the party leaders are insisting that these things be put in the same negotiations. The division that is developing among the Democrats is complicating negotiations, as lawmakers in both parties face extreme pressure, and a two-week period, to show progress and plans for government funding, immigration among many other issues that have resulted in the government operating on temporary-solution spending bills since September 2017.
Hope for Budget
Both the Democratic and Republican parties anticipate a long-term budget agreement despite their contradicting interests. However, any legislation to boost spending upwards of $250 billion over two years would likely need bipartisan participation in both chambers. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) who is a member of Democratic leadership said that although she would rather that a deal to protect young, undocumented immigrants be included in budget negotiations, the agreement reached with McConnell could cancel any possibilities of that happening. If the Democrats are willing to deal with spending caps without a firm commitment on DACA, it will represent a significant shift in the budget talks which have stalled for months over immigration.
Democrats have refused to acknowledge any progress on a spending deal if it does not provide a solution for Dreamers.
