Democrats are being given the chance to potentially add 1.8 million voters to their rolls in the form of “Dreamers”. That’s a nice offering. In return, they have to give up a lot to get it. So far, they’ve been sticking with the “clean immigration bill” talking point, which won’t fly. Senator Tom Cotton has some words for them
(CNBC) A Republican senator asserted Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s immigration plan is the only measure that could pass Congress.
Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas spoke as the Senate was scheduled to start an open debate on how to proceed.
Bipartisan senators will continue contentious discussions on the best measure to protect up to 1.8 million young immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children and boost border security. A measure drafted by GOP senators including Cotton aims to mirror Trump’s immigration proposal, which calls for restrictions on legal immigration that Democrats consider unacceptable.
“The president’s framework bill is not an opening bid for negotiations. It’s a best and final offer,” Cotton told “Fox and Friends” on Tuesday morning.
President Trump has stated that he will veto any legislation that doesn’t include his immigration goals. And Democrats haven’t been particularly interested in debating the bill. Meanwhile
It does not appear any Democratic-favored proposals have the necessary 60 votes to advance. The GOP leader is betting that Democrats are willing to give ground because they have pushed for months to have a floor vote on legislation to replace the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
McConnell told reporters that if Congress does not pass a bill by the Presidents Day recess, which begins Saturday, the chamber will move on to other issues.
“We have other things to do,†he told reporters after a Republican policy lunch Tuesday.
“This is an issue we’ve been talking about literally for years,†he added, noting that GOP negotiators have recently “spent three months talking to the Democrats about this.â€
McConnell’s giving Democrats a chance to tell their base that they gave Dreamers a pathway to citizenship, and all they have to do is protect the security of the U.S. from future illegal aliens. But, do Democrats really want this issue solved, or do they want it ongoing, in order to create election issues? Of course, is putting illegal aliens over American citizens the best way forward for Democrats?
