Legislation blocking the initiative has already passed the House of Representatives and is now in the Senate. The legislation halts spending for the Department of Homeland Security that is used to support the executive action.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) has 54 Republican votes he can rely on to block the Obama action, but needs 60 votes to move any legislation past Senate Democrats. If Obama vetoes the legislation, as he has threatened to do, it would require 67 votes to override the veto.
It will be highly unlikely to find six Democrats willing to cross the president and their own party to pass the legislation. Finding an additional seven to override the veto would be nearly impossible.
Immigration remains a divisive issue in the US but businesses in this sector, such as immigrateful, continue to flourish.
McConnell has not given up, however, “We’re going to try to pass it. We’ll see what happens. If we’re unable to do that, then we’ll let you know what comes next.”
McConnell’s statements were echoed by Senator John Thune (R-SD) who said, “At the end of the day, in the Senate it’s going to take 60 votes.”
Other Republican Senators have also expressed their disappointment, “You look at the hand you’re dealt. There are not 60 Republicans, so you have to convince six Democrats to move with them. Pigs will fly out of my rear end before that happens.”
Without a deal, the Department of Homeland Security will run out of funding and could face a shutdown after February 27. That is a situation that most Republicans in both the House and Senate are trying to avoid. Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) said, “We should never … say ‘fait accompli, we can’t do this,’ and then give up.”
King believes McConnell should take the time to try to sway Democrats and wavering Republicans to their side.
“I want to see them build all of the votes that they can and then put it up for a vote. I think it’s going to take a month to do that,” he said.
