The McCain-Coons Amnesty

John McCain’s brain cancer isn’t doing its job fast enough:

“Sens. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Christopher Coons (D-Del.) will introduce immigration legislation on Monday in an effort to reach a budget deal before the federal government’s current funding runs out on Friday, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The bipartisan piece of legislation provides recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, commonly known as “Dreamers,” an opportunity for citizenship while ordering a study to figure out what border security measures are needed, according to the Journal. …

Senate aides told the Journal that the plan would provide people who have resided in the U.S. since Dec. 31, 2013, with legal status and a path to citizenship. …

The legislation reportedly does not contain immediate funding for the U.S. southern border wall, however, which was one of President Trump’s key demands, and is likely to draw the ire of some Republicans.

The plan would also provide more people with a path to citizenship and legal status than Trump’s original plan did. …”

Heading into 2018, there was a fair chance that McCain would be dead by now and replaced by someone like Martha McSally. He is highly likely to die this year. The only question is how much damage he can inflict on the Senate before he retires or dies in office from brain cancer.

In order to end the government shutdown, Mitch McConnell struck a deal with Chuck Schumer to fund the federal government until February 8th. If a DACA deal hadn’t been struck by February 8th, McConnell would bring an immigration bill to the Senate floor for debate.

From what I understand, McConnell has said that any senator can introduce their bill or amendment when the Senate takes up immigration and it will be voted on, which is why Flake and Graham were so eager to vote to end the government shutdown. If any of these bills can get 60 votes (49 Democrats and 11 Republicans) to get through cloture, it is pretty much guaranteed to pass the Senate.