The Senate agreed Wednesday to move forward on consideration of a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security by a vote of 98-2. The bill they advanced included the House's anti-immigrant measures but per an
agreement between Democrats and Republicans, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was to immediately substitute a "clean" funding bill without the immigration riders.
If there are no objections to that substitution, the clean bill could be voted on before the end of the day. But it's entirely possible that some GOP senators will object to McConnell's substitution. The timing is still very fluid.
The hope for Democrats, and seemingly McConnell too, is to send a clean funding bill back to House Speaker John Boehner. Earlier today, Boehner told his caucus that he had not spoken to McConnell in two weeks.
As part of the deal, the Senate also agreed to vote on a separate "compromise" anti-immigrant measure from GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. That measure would leave in place President Obama's 2012 program for Dreamers but block his 2014 deportation relief for older Dreamers and parents of U.S. citizen children and legal residents.
So in other words, she doesn't want to deport the original Dreamers, she just wants to leave them parentless.
Democrats will likely refuse to advance the Collins bill until a clean DHS funding bill clears the Senate and is safely on its way to the House.
2:19 PM PT: UPDATE: House crazy caucus not happy
30 House GOPers send letter to Boehner, asking him to stand firm against new Senate plan for "clean" #DHS spending bill.
— @ChadPergram
2:27 PM PT: UPDATE 2: McConnell and Boehner reportedly met for 41 minutes.
John Boehner and Mitch McConnell are meeting with each other. If you thought this would ever be a story, you have me beat.
— @rickklein
3:10 PM PT: UPDATE 3: Senate Dems were reportedly ready to vote, but McConnell is still corralling his caucus.
NO DEAL yet on timing of a vote to strip immigration riders from DHS bill. Senate to close shop until 11am tomorrow, a day before deadline
— @mkraju
And that's a wrap for the day folks!