“I was stopped five times by the filibuster to accept it. I had a majority, I did not have 60 votes. Do I have 60 now? I think I’m close,” the Illinois Democrat told Dana Bash, CNN, said. “State of the Union” Sunday.
Durbin, the Senate’s second-ranking Democrat, said he intends to sit down with Republican members and ask if they will support the DREAM law, which gives young undocumented immigrants, known as ‘Dreamers’, permanent residency. and possibly make citizenship possible.
“I think I will have support. Whether that is enough remains to be seen,” he said.
Durbin had earlier told CNN that he did not believe there was enough support in this Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration bill that would revamp the U.S. immigration system and provide a roadmap for citizenship for the country’s 11 million undocumented immigrants.
On Sunday, Durbin said he supported President Joe Biden’s immigration plan, the 2021 Citizenship Act, calling it ‘long overdue’, but reiterated his conviction that it would be difficult to succeed in the 50-50 partisan split Senate.
This is a crucial news report and will be updated.