In 'a good sign,' immigration negotiations move to a new phase: funding
Senators are nearing a bipartisan deal on immigration and border policy changes, now looking at funding it.
WASHINGTON — Senate negotiations to impose tougher immigration and asylum laws have moved to a new phase as the group is now working with key senators to finalize the funding provisions in the deal, three sources familiar with the talks said.
The immigration group is working with the Senate Appropriations Committee on how to craft the funding language to match the policy changes the negotiators have largely agreed to.
There are varying levels of optimism among senators and aides that the development could mean the group has locked in an agreement. But shifting the conversation to appropriators demonstrates that negotiators have made progress toward an agreement on border provisions.
“We’re at the point of drafting and finalizing text. We don’t have an enormous amount of work left to do,” Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut, the chief Democratic negotiator, said Monday afternoon.
He added that “it’s possible” the Senate would start voting on the bill this week. “You can’t just change policy," Murphy said. "You’ve also got to fund the policy.”
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