[Edward64]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

That quote is nonsense and almost certainly from McConnell's side. If there was a deal there was plenty of time to pass something. The real issue is that McConnell said he wouldn't support it so there's no chance it gets to 60 and beats the filibuster.

FWIW, I think Rollcall is pretty "center", see below. If you have a non-partisan source, provide the link.

Also, if it was so urgent & important, why bring it up during a lame duck session. Why not before mid-terms when it would have had plenty of time for public discourse. (Rhetorical question, we know why and that applies to both Dems & GOP)

https://rollcall.com/2022/12/15/immi...n-out-of-time/

The likelihood of a finalized immigration deal in the lame-duck period after the midterm elections dwindled rapidly in recent days. The push was led by Tillis, R-N.C., and Sinema of Arizona, who recently announced she was switching her registration from Democrat to independent.

Last week, Tillis said he did not see the deal as a candidate for the fiscal 2023 government funding package, meaning the bill would require its own floor time.

Congress still faces a lengthy to-do list before lawmakers are set to leave Washington for the holidays, including a government funding package and the national defense authorization bill.

Tillis sounded pessimistic on a Senate deal during this Congress two days ago, when he told reporters that “time is running out.”

A congressional aide familiar with the immigration talks said Sinema and Tillis, who had engaged in immigration negotiations for months, ran out of time to put forward an immigration deal that could pass both chambers before the end of this Congress.

Even though no immigration legislation will reach the Senate floor this term, the aide said, Sinema and Tillis have the framework for an immigration compromise ready to be introduced next Congress.

Any immigration measures that would legalize portions of the undocumented population would draw Republican opposition and face a steeper climb next session in a Republican-led House.

Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee’s immigration panel, said he was “frustrated” in response to reports that the negotiations had faltered.

“I’ll never give up trying,” Padilla said. “It’s only going to get more urgent.”

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who said previously he was involved in the proposal, stopped short of declaring negotiations this session over but acknowledged there are “challenges here in the schedule.”

“If it was up to me, we would stay here until this gets done,” Kelly said.