![Senate parliamentarian again blocks Democratic bid to legalize immigrants in budget bill](https://cbsnews2.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2021/09/29/c079882e-c3e8-470a-bd52-d33687a4d88c/thumbnail/1200x630/985684ccfdbe7a12ab2afa2b2a69d4c7/gettyimages-1235581329.jpg)
Senate parliamentarian again blocks Democratic bid to legalize immigrants in budget bill
CBSN
The top Senate official tasked with interpreting the chamber's rules blocked Democrats' second bid to legalize undocumented immigrants through a budget bill on Wednesday, dealing another blow to Democratic efforts to create a massive legalization program without Republican support, according to guidance obtained by CBS News.
Earlier this month, Elizabeth MacDonough, the Senate parliamentarian, said a Democratic plan to allow an estimated 8 million immigrants in the U.S. to apply for permanent legal status could not be included in the reconciliation process, which bypasses the 60-vote threshold most bills need to pass the Senate.
Elements included in the budget reconciliation process, which allows bills to pass with a simple majority of senators, need to have a direct impact on the U.S. budget. The fate of the reconciliation package remains uncertain, as moderate and progressive Democrats continue to negotiate the size and scope of the legislation.
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Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a high-stakes meeting at this year's Munich Security conference to discuss the Trump administration's efforts to end the war in Ukraine. Vance said the U.S. seeks a "durable" peace, while Zelenskyy expressed the desire for extensive discussions to prepare for any end to the conflict.
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Washington — The Trump administration on Thursday intensified its sweeping efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce, the nation's largest employer, by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who hadn't yet gained civil service protection - potentially affecting hundreds of thousands of workers.
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It was Labor Day weekend 2003 when Matt Scribner, a local horse farrier and trainer who also competes in long-distance horse races, was on his usual ride in a remote part of the Sierra Nevada foothills — just a few miles northeast of Auburn, California —when he noticed a freshly dug hole along the trail that piqued his curiosity.