Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 5/29/18

A group of senators in both parties is beginning to restart back-channel talks across the aisle and with the White House to be ready to act if needed.

Sen. Cory Gardner, the leader of the Senate GOP's campaign arm, urged President Donald Trump earlier in May to act quickly on an immigration overhaul after months of radio silence from the White House and Senate on the issue.

"The sweet spot for getting an immigration deal remains now. The closer we get to the election and certainly post-election, the more difficult it will be," the Colorado Republican recounted telling the president in a phone call. "If we wait longer, the more difficult it becomes. They'll blame it on both parties at that point."

The latest in the House: In recent weeks, the House has been raising the issue of immigration - and it's preparing to take up one or several Republican bills in June. That same immigration showdown helped doom the farm bill vote recently. It also has moderate GOP lawmakers working with Democrats to back a discharge petition that would force a vote on immigration bills - one of which is Rep. Bob Goodlatte's conservative bill that would, in part, overhaul the H-2A agricultural guestworker program.

House v. Senate timeline: The House and Senate are on Memorial Day recess this week, so there won't be any votes in either chamber. But regardless of outcome of House GOP efforts to press an immigration vote, it's unlikely that the Senate will take up any of the House measures, according to interviews with nearly a dozen senators of both parties.