“Gang of Eight” Hoping for Immigration Bill This Week, Schumer Says

The “gang of eight” senators working on a comprehensive immigration reform bill that includes a pathway to citizenship could present the legislation by the end of this week, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Sunday on “Face the Nation.”

Joined by his friend and fellow “gang” member Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Schumer said the staffs of the four Republican and four Democratic senators “are in a room working 12 hours a day, taking all the agreements that we’ve come to over the last three months, and turning them into legislative language, specific legislative language.”

“All of us have said that there will be no agreement until the eight of us agree to a big, specific bill, but hopefully we can get that done by the end of the week,” Schumer said. {snip}

{snip}

“Most Americans agree that if you pay back-taxes, if you pay a fine, if you learn English, if you go to the back of the line, then you can and should be eligible for a path to citizenship,” McCain said.

{snip}

If a bill does come out of the “gang” this week, a “long road” remains on its way to passage, Schumer said, citing “people on both sides who are against this bill, and they will be able to shoot at it in had the committee.” The best-case scenario would be a floor vote in May, following committee markup.

{snip}