WASHINGTON _ The U.S. Senate will leave for a six-week break without passing a bill to grant Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Venezuelans even though the House of Representatives passed a similar measure last week.
Two Democratic senators, Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Dick Durbin of Illinois, attempted to pass the House's TPS bill by unanimous consent on the Senate floor Tuesday. The move, which is essentially a voice vote, bypasses Senate procedure in an attempt to pass legislation quickly, but it fails if one senator opposes it.
Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee opposed Menendez and Durbin's request, so the fast-track effort to pass TPS failed.
