Senators are struggling to break through a legislative stalemate on immigration, with centrists making a frantic push to find a deal that can win enough support to pass by the end of the week.

The centrist senators on Wednesday said that they had finished the contours of an agreement that would protect “Dreamers” in exchange for more spending on border security.

But in a sign of just how harried the push has become, the official language of the agreement wasn't revealed until late Wednesday night after hours of what Sen. Jeff Flake Jeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeRepublican former Michigan governor says he's voting for Biden Maybe they just don't like cowboys: The president is successful, some just don't like his style Bush endorsing Biden? Don't hold your breath MORE (R-Ariz) called "tidying up the language."

ADVERTISEMENT

The clock is ticking.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE (R-Ky.) has made clear that he intends to move on from the immigration debate after this week, leaving little time for any faction to cobble together 60 votes for an immigration bill.

The centrists appear to have the highest odds of success.

If every Democrat supported the group’s proposal — which is not guaranteed — the centrists would need the votes of 11 GOP senators for a bill to pass. Roughly a dozen Republicans have been taking part in the Common Sense Coalition talks.

“Our group from the very beginning has been committed to coming up with a bipartisan plan on immigration and that’s what it appears we’ve been able to do,” Sen. Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsSenate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg Democratic senator calls for eliminating filibuster, expanding Supreme Court if GOP fills vacancy What Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies MORE (R-Maine), who has been leading the talks, told reporters as she headed to a meeting in McConnell’s office.

The centrist plan, unveiled Wednesday by a group of 16 bipartisan senators, would protect 1.8 million Dreamers from deportation and provide $25 billion for border security. While it would prevent Dreamers from sponsoring a parent who knowingly brought them into the country illegally, it does not include the broader changes to legal immigration or interior enforcement favored by President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE and House Republicans.

Collins wouldn’t say whether the proposal has 60 votes, nor would Flake.

“This bipartisan bill we’ve been working on I think can get 60. I’m not sure it will. It kind of depends on the order they come up, too,” Flake said.

The centrist plan is certain to face strong opposition from parts of the Republican conference, not to mention the House and Trump.

The White House has demanded that any immigration legislation include the “four pillars” that negotiators agreed to in January: A fix for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program for immigrants who came to the U.S. as children, border security funding, and changes to family-based immigration and the State Department’s diversity visa lottery.

Undercutting the centrists, Trump on Wednesday threw his weight behind a rival immigration measure spearheaded by Sen. Chuck Grassley Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleySenate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg What Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies Biden says Ginsburg successor should be picked by candidate who wins on Nov. 3 MORE (R-Iowa), the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, which tracks closely with the White House’s plan.

“I am asking all senators, in both parties, to support the Grassley bill and to oppose any legislation that fails to fulfill these four pillars — that includes opposing any short-term ‘Band-Aid’ approach,” Trump said in a statement.

Grassley’s bill would include a path to citizenship for 1.8 million immigrants brought into the country illegally as children, $25 billion in border security, tougher interior enforcement and new limits on legal immigration.

Immigration is a political lightning rod with the Republican base, and many GOP lawmakers are wary of opening themselves up to criticism by backing a bill that Trump doesn’t support.

“If it doesn’t have a reasonable treatment for each of the pillars, I couldn’t support it,” said Sen. Thom Tillis Thomas (Thom) Roland TillisWhat Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies Chamber of Commerce endorses McSally for reelection Airline job cuts loom in battleground states MORE (R-N.C.).

Meanwhile, in the House, Republican leaders on Wednesday announced they would formally begin whipping support for an immigration bill from Rep. Bob Goodlatte Robert (Bob) William GoodlatteNo documents? Hoping for legalization? Be wary of Joe Biden Press: Trump's final presidential pardon: himself USCIS chief Cuccinelli blames Paul Ryan for immigration inaction MORE (R-Va.) that contains many conservative priorities.

“What we always want to do in the House is have a House Republican position, which we can start from for negotiations,” Speaker Paul Ryan Paul Davis RyanKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 At indoor rally, Pence says election runs through Wisconsin Juan Williams: Breaking down the debates MORE (R-Wis.).

Back in the Senate, the success or failure of immigration legislation could hinge on what comes up for a vote and when.

Leadership could try to jam senators by forcing them to choose between either passing the Grassley measure or doing nothing on DACA.

But Democrats, and some Republicans, want Trump’s framework to be one of the first votes.

The legislation isn’t expected to get 60 votes, though Sen. Joe Manchin Joseph (Joe) ManchinBiden promises Democratic senators help in battleground states Senate leaders quash talk of rank-and-file COVID-19 deal OVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' MORE (D-W.Va.), up for reelection in 2018, has signaled he could support it.

A failed vote on the Trump proposal could help build support for alternatives, some senators say.

“You need to ask me that after the Grassley bill falls short of 60, but the president deserves a vote. ... I think the Senate doesn’t want to be seen as failing, but time will tell,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSenate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg Democratic senator calls for eliminating filibuster, expanding Supreme Court if GOP fills vacancy What Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies MORE (R-S.C.), asked why the bipartisan group’s bill could pass.

Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioFlorida senators pushing to keep Daylight Savings Time during pandemic Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll Intelligence chief says Congress will get some in-person election security briefings MORE (R-Fla.) said the Grassley bill should be the first vote. Sen. Lamar Alexander Andrew (Lamar) Lamar AlexanderChamber of Commerce endorses McSally for reelection Trump health officials grilled over reports of politics in COVID-19 response Now is the time to renew our focus on students and their futures MORE (R-Tenn.) echoed that stance, saying the “sooner the better.”

But Sen. John Cornyn John CornynBipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death Chamber of Commerce endorses McSally for reelection Airline job cuts loom in battleground states MORE (Texas), the No. 2 Senate Republican, said the Grassley measure would be the last proposal to get a vote, not the first, raising the possibility of a take-it-or-leave-it proposition.

Grassley lashed out at Democrats for opposing his bill, saying they should support it after clamoring for months for a DACA fix. They could, he said, ultimately try to amend the framework before a procedural hurdle where it would again need 60 votes.

“Aren’t you at a point where here the Democrats have been pleading for months and months and months for justice. ... Why would they turn it down?” asked Grassley, who appeared visibly frustrated and at times yelled at reporters.

When a reporter noted that there wasn’t unanimous Republican support for the plan, he added: “There’s some Republicans that don’t want to do anything on immigration.”

Senators have been divided for weeks over whether they should pass a bill that couldn’t get a majority in the House, where Ryan says he will only bring up a bill Trump supports.

“It’s got the best chance of getting through the House of Representatives, and it’s the only one that you hear talked about that the president will sign,” Grassley added.

But supporters of the bipartisan measures counter that senators need to focus on what can pass their own chamber before worrying about the House GOP or Trump — who has sent mixed signals about his determination to help the Dreamers.

“We obviously care about the House and about the president’s position, but we’re the Senate. We have to get through this phase of the legislative process first,” said Collins.

Flake added: “We’re a separate branch. He can veto it or he can sign it. But we’ve got to pass it.”

McConnell teed up procedural votes on four proposals Wednesday evening: the Grassley bill, a separate plan from Sens. Christopher Coons (D-Del.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), a proposal from Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) that would crack down on sanctuary cities, and a placeholder for the Collins proposal.

The move came after he had Republicans sign four blank cloture petitions during Tuesday’s conference lunch, which allows him to force votes on amendments if Democrats continue to stymie him. That will eat up days of time since, under Senate rules, they would need to have an “intervening day” before an initial vote. Senators could get a deal to speed up the debate, though the Senate adjourned on Wednesday night without scheduling any votes for Thursday.

How the debate ends up playing out on the floor is anyone’s guess. Republicans say the ball is in the court of the Democrats, who have twice blocked McConnell from scheduling votes.

“We’ve got the hall. We’ve got the people, but we can’t make them debate,” Cornyn said. “I’m just sort of at a loss.”

Updated on Feb. 15 at 8:41 a.m.