(AP) – The Senate has blocked a bipartisan proposal that would have provided 1.8 million young immigrants a chance for citizenship and $25 billion for a border wall.
The bill was crafted by moderate Republicans and Democrats billing themselves as the “Common Sense Coalition.” They described the proposal as having the most bipartisan support in the Senate, but it came under fire from the White House and the Department of Homeland Security.
The vote was 54-45, six votes short of the 60 needed to advance.
The moderates’ measure does not alter a lottery that distributes about 55,000 visas annually to people from diverse countries. Trump has proposed ending it and redistributing its visas to other immigrants.
The group spent weeks trying to craft a middle ground on the thorny immigration issue.
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