Trump’s
immigration offer brings sharp reactions from Dems and GOP, By Pamela Ng, 1/20/19, Fox News.
President
Trump’s immigration compromise package to
end the partial government shutdown drew sharp reactions from Democratic and Republican
lawmakers alike.
In a
televised White House address on Saturday afternoon, Trump offered Democrats a
three-year extension of protections for 700,000 Deferred Action for Childhood
Arrivals (DACA) recipients, in exchange for the $5.7 billion he has been
seeking for a barrier along the nation's southern border with Mexico.
“Our immigration system
should be a source of pride ... not a source of shame as it is all over the
world,” Trump said in his plea.
The
president’s proposal was met with disdain from an array of
top Democratic lawmakers. Many used the same language in their critiques,
accusing Trump of holding the government and federal workers
"hostage."
House Speaker Nancy
Pelosi, D-Calif., tweeted, “What we didn’t hear from
the President was any sympathy for the federal workers who face so much
uncertainty because of the chaos of the #TrumpShutdown.” Before Trump made his
announcement, Pelosi had called his anticipated proposal “a non-starter.”
“For
one thing, this proposal does not include the permanent solution for the
Dreamers and TPS recipients that our country needs and supports.”
For his part, Chuck
Schumer, the Senate minority leader, called Trump's proposal "one-sided
and ineffective." "It's clear the
President realizes that by closing the government and hurting so many American
workers and their families, he has put himself and the country in an untenable
position. Unfortunately, he keeps putting forward one-sided and ineffective
remedies. There's only one way out: open the government, Mr. President, and
then Democrats and Republicans can have a civil discussion and come up with
bipartisan solutions." Schumer, D-N.Y., concluded, "It was the
President who single-handedly took away DACA and TPS protections in the first place
– offering some protections back in exchange for the wall is not a compromise
but more hostage taking."
House Majority Leader
Steny Hoyer shared a similar sentiment, urging Trump and Sen. Mitch
McConnell to "stop holding government hostage and end the shutdown"
immediately. “The president must stop holding government hostage and end the
shutdown so federal employees can get back to work serving the American people.
There is no reason for Americans to be shut out of work and without a paycheck
while negotiations take place on the best way to secure our borders,” he said. Hoyer
said negotiation can progress after the government reopens. “With the
government open, we can negotiate an agreement to strengthen border security
that both sides can support and that is in the best interests of the American
people.”
Another leading
Dem, Sen. Kristen Gillibrand of New York, who announced her
White House bid on Jan. 15 in an episode of "The Late Show with Stephen
Colbert," said Trump's offer was a "bad deal." Gillibrand
tweeted: "Trump ordered the end of DACA and TPS. Then he shut down the
government. Now he's holding federal workers hostage, saying he'll temporarily
give back what he took away -- only if we give him a pointless, ineffective
wall he falsely promised Mexico would pay for. This is a bad deal."
Then there was New
Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez's response. He bluntly accused Trump of forcing
"a pointless shutdown" to pay for the border wall. "This is
about more than 800,000 Americans who are being held hostage by a President who
has forced a pointless shutdown to pay for an expensive, ineffective wall. This
is not about immigration. Dreamers and TPS recipients are not bargaining chips.
It's unacceptable that after taking away DACA protections, eliminating the TPS
program for thousands of immigrants and creating a humanitarian crisis at the
border, President Trump is offering temporary solutions in exchange for a
permanent wall." The Democratic senator also said "a legitimate
negotiation" can proceed after the government is reopened.
Fellow Democratic Sen.
Chris Coons of Delaware slammed McConnell for refusing "to meaningfully
negotiate with Senate Democrats," but also called Trump's offer "a
first step toward comprehensive immigration reform." "This senseless
government shutdown is hurting millions of Americans, and its impacts are only
getting worse. The President should re-open the government so that Republicans
and Democrats in Congress can work with the White House to find a sensible
solution on border security and immigration. I am confident that a reasonable
compromise can be reached, but not while President Trump continues to keep
significant parts of the government shut down and Leader McConnell refuses
to meaningfully negotiate with Senate Democrats," he said.
"Some relief for
Dreamers and an extension of
Temporary Protected Status represent a first step toward comprehensive
immigration reform, but more ideas from members of both parties should be taken
up and debated. Republicans and Democrats stand ready to work toward a
solution, but the fact remains that there is no reason to have large parts of
the federal government shut down while we debate appropriate border security
and immigration policies."
Republican lawmakers, at
the opposite end of the reaction spectrum, praised the president for his
willingness to negotiate.
Senate Majority Leader
McConnell, for instance, commended the president "for taking
bipartisan steps toward addressing current immigration issues." In his
statement, he said; “Compromise in divided government means that everyone can’t
get everything they want every time. The president’s proposal reflects that. It
strikes a fair compromise by incorporating priorities from both sides of the
aisle." “This bill takes a bipartisan
approach to re-opening the closed portions of the federal government. It pairs
the border security investment that
our nation needs with additional immigration measures that both Democrat and
Republican members of Congress believe are necessary. Unlike the bills that
have come from the House over the past few weeks, this proposal could actually
resolve this impasse. It has the full support of the President and could be
signed into law to quickly reopen the government."
Republican Whip Steve Scalise called on
Democrats to match Trump's willingness to negotiate. "The time for
political games has long passed. Democrats must put their personal dislike of
the president aside, end their obstruction, and finally come to the negotiating
table. It's time Democrats do what is right for the functioning and security of
our nation and agree to a deal that opens our government, and includes funding
for a border wall and other measures to solve this serious immigration crisis
at our southern border," he said in a statement.
Also on the Republican side,
Sen. Susan Collins of Maine said she was "hopeful" for a
"constructive debate" with Democrats. “Compromise is not a sign of
weakness — it’s a sign of strength, particularly when hundreds of thousands of
families are being harmed. The Administration, Senate Republicans, and
Democrats must now resolve this stalemate before 800,000 federal workers and their
families miss yet another paycheck, and our economy is further damaged,” she
said.
Sen.
Mitt Romney, R-Utah, whose views on the president and his policies have
fluctuated, said Trump "put forth a reasonable, good faith proposal that
will reopen the government and help secure the border." He tweeted,
"I look forward to voting for it and will work to encourage my Republican
and Democratic colleagues to do the same. Earlier, while speaking
in Ogden, Utah, Romney said he did not understand Pelosi's position on border security. "You (Pelosi) and
your fellow Democrats have voted for over 600 miles of border fence in the
past, why won't you vote for another few miles now? I don't understand their
position, I really don't," the Republican senator said.
Florida Sen. Marco
Rubio took a positive view of Trump's proposed deal, like his fellow
Republicans. He said Trump made "a very reasonable offer" and urged
Democrats to work with him. “The way to end this shutdown is for both sides to
make mutual concessions in order to reach an agreement. The president has made
a very reasonable offer to extend DACA and TPS protections in exchange for the
border security measures he supports. I hope that instead of choosing the road
of endless obstruction, Democrats will decide to work with him to reach an
agreement and end the shutdown,” he said.
Likewise, House
Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy called the president's immigration offer
"reasonable." McCarthy tweeted: "President Trump has put
forward a serious and reasonable offer to reform parts of our broken
immigration system and reopen government. The moment now turns to Nancy Pelosi
and Chuck Schumer. The country is watching."
Comments
Democrats are playing the old Saturday Night Live skit called "I'm crazy. Give me candy."
Norb Leahy, Dunwoody
GA Tea Party Leader
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