Immigration battle brewing in the GOP
Republicans are barreling toward a fight over immigration policy that could expose deep divisions in the party.
A renewed push by GOP Sens. Tom Cotton (Ark.) and David Perdue (Ga.) to crack down on legal immigration is threatening to pit President Trump, who endorsed their legislation, against GOP senators who want broader reforms.
The bill, which got a White House rollout on Wednesday, would fundamentally overhaul the immigration system. It would curtail the number of legal immigrants admitted into the country, cutting the total roughly in half.
The legislation, supporters say, would help enshrine a shift in Republican Party politics that was prominent in Trump’s campaign rhetoric, where he frequently warned that immigrants were taking American jobs.
"As a candidate I campaigned on creating a merit-based immigration system that protects American workers and tax payers," Trump said at the White House while standing next to Cotton and Perdue.
The measure faces a difficult path to 60 votes in the Senate, which would require the support of at least eight Democrats, not to mention every GOP senator — a scenario that appears highly unlikely.
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/345052-immigration-battle-brewing-in-the-gop
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