Potential swing GOP votes began to peel away from the reform effort Wednesday. A source familiar with the discussions told POLITICO that the negotiators are no longer trying to woo Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) because they see his demands on agricultural workers as an insurmountable hurdle. Two other Republicans, who had backed a so-called border surge plan, then turned around to reject a procedural move to advance the bill.
And whether the bill’s supporters could lure Sen. Rob Portman remained in question, as key senators exchanged a flurry of offers on amendment votes that could help win over the Ohio Republican — but kept falling short of an agreement.
Those negotiations appeared to fall apart later Wednesday when Republicans objected to a request from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to hold votes on 32 amendments, including Portman’s cherished E-Verify proposal. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, said the request was “clearly not serious.”
“I haven’t just fallen off the hay wagon,” Grassley said as he objected, saying he felt “used and abused” in the process. “I’m still willing to negotiate votes, but it needs to be a lot of votes.”
Join the conversation as a VIP Member