Democratic lawmakers on Saturday rejected President Donald Trump’s proposal to extend some non-permanent protections for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and individuals with Temporary Protected Status in exchange for border wall funding.
But all of this is on the condition that he receives $5.7 billion for a border wall — the central point of contention between Democrats and Republicans in the fight to re-open the government.
Statements from legislators rolled in following the President’s announcement:
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Prior to Trump’s speech, Pelosi, a California Democrat, issued a statement in response to „initial reports“ that „make clear that his proposal is a compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives.“
Her statement continued: „It is unlikely that any one of these provisions alone would pass the House, and taken together, they are 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.“
Following Trump’s speech, Pelosi tweeted, „What is original in the President’s proposal is not good. What is good in the proposal is not original. Democrats will vote next week to add additional border security funding for ports of entry, advanced technology for scanning vehicles for drugs & immigration judges.“
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Republicans issued statements of support for the President’s proposal, including McConnell, who said he intends to bring the legislation forward this week. He had declined earlier to bring forward spending bills Democrats passed in the House.
„I commend the President for his leadership in proposing this bold solution to reopen the government, secure the border, and take bipartisan steps toward addressing current immigration issues,“ McConnell said in a statement.
