The Senate returned to the Capitol on Thursday morning for votes Thursday after Democrats announced agreement on a $3.5 trillion dollar budget deal earlier this week that, if passed, would fund President Joe Biden's sweeping budget agenda.
LPO asked Democratic senators for details about the massive legislative proposal after centrist Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) told reporters on Wednesday night that he supported including immigration reform in the budget deal.
While the details of Democrats' budget agreement remain scarce, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) told LPO that he thinks funding for immigration reform, which he supports, are included in the proposal.
"It was indicated that there's funding [for immigration reform in the budget package]," Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) told LPO, "but at this point you probably know more than I do."
"Right now the plan is a topline dollar number," Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) told LPO when asked for details about how immigration reform might fit into the budget deal. "Then the [Senate] judiciary committee will take jurisdiction and work through the details and make a recommendation to the rest of the [Democratic] caucus."
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) cautioned that there are limits to what can be passed through budget reconciliation, the legislative maneuver that the Democratic majorities in Congress are expected to use to pass the sweeping budget proposal, adding: "Whatever vehicles we can find to do immigration reform are good ones. "
"My hope is that our bipartisan efforts will yield results but if not, then yes I would," Senator Bob Menendez told LPO when asked if he supported including immigration reform in the budget legislation.
"I don't think it's unreasonable," said Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) when asked the same. "It just depends on what it looks like."
Democratic Senators Booker (NJ), Schatz (HA), and Murphy (CT) also told LPO they support including immigration reform in the budget deal.
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