In an effort to gain the support of Senate Republicans a compromise has been reached that will substantially strengthen U.S. border security will be introduced as an amendment to the immigration reform bill, according to the Washington Post.
The potential amendment was primarily written by Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and John Hoeven, R-N.D., working alongside the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" who had penned the immigration bill. If the agreement is passed along with the bill it will come close to doubling the amount of federal border patrol agents, require 700 miles of fencing to be built along the border and would provide funding for aerial drones to patrol the border, according to the Washington Post.
The biggest objection that Senate Republicans have had to supporting the version of the immigration bill to be written by the "Gang of Eight" has been that the bill did not strengthen the borders of the U.S. sufficiently; these provisions are expected to ease those concerns and bring at least eight to 10 more supporters from the Republican side of the aisle, according to the Washington Post.
Sen. Corker accepts that some Republicans will never vote for any form of immigration reform but he knew that if the correct provisions were added that some could be convinced to do so.
"We have some people in our caucus that are never going to vote for an immigration bill, OK, I don't care if you - it's just never going to happen," Corker said. "And so we realize that. And yet there are people who, with the right provisions, would."
Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., explained the added provisions to reporters bluntly.
"We're on the verge of doing something dramatic on the border," Graham said. "What we're trying to do is put in place measures that to any reasonable person would be an overwhelming effort to secure our border short of shooting anybody who comes across the border."
As the immigration bill looks like it might be making some progress in the Senate Republicans in the House of Representatives were steadfast in their opposition. Even if the bill were to pass in the Senate with the 70 to 80 votes that some are aiming for certain members of the house would be unfazed, according to Politico.
"I don't know, Mother always told me that if 70 people jump off a cliff, you shouldn't follow them," Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., told Politico.
While Republican Senators with major clout such as John McCain, R-Ariz., and Graham are celebrated for helping to craft a bipartisan bill they are seen almost as traitors by many House Republicans.
"If you looked at my campaign, it's the people that have been here - the career politicians - that have led us to where we are at or failed to prevent a broken immigration system," Rep. Ted Yoho, R-Fla., told Politico.
Still, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., remains optimistic that a deal will get done. Rubio supported the added provisions to the bill and wanted to make sure that people understood that they were not done as an "anti-immigrant" statement.
"This is not about anti-immigrants or anything or trying to be tough on anybody," Rubio told Fox News. "We are a sovereign country. Every sovereign country in the world has the right to protect its borderes and who has access to the country."
