Refusing to let a “good crisis go to waste,” as Rahm Emanuel once said, Democrats want to “keep the focus” on President Donald Trump rather than address the ongoing border crisis.
Top Democrat Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) reportedly rejected the GOP proposal to keep immigrant families together at the border. The reason he gave is stunning.
"Asked if that meant Democrats would not support a bill backed by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to keep immigrant families together while seeking asylum on the U.S. border, Schumer said they want to keep the focus on Trump,” The Hill reported.
https://twitter.com/WiredSources/status/1009219225045684224
However, Schumer went even further while talking to reporters, rejecting all proposals because he wants President Trump to solve the crisis with the stroke of his pen.
“There are so many obstacles to legislation, and when the president can do it with his own pen, it makes no sense,” Schumer reportedly said. “Legislation is not the way to go here when it’s so easy for the president to sign it.”
https://twitter.com/VP/status/1009191183929741312
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he wants to take up the bill as soon as possible — but that means Democrats have to step up to the plate too.
Given Schumer’s comments, that might not happen.
“We hope to reach out to the Democrats to see if we can get a result, which means making a law and not get into some sparring match back and forth that leads to no conclusion,” McConnell said.
President Trump has blasted Democrats for "obstructing" and pushing for "open borders" rather than working with Republicans to pass immigration reform.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1009431025817092097
"It’s the Democrats fault, they won’t give us the votes needed to pass good immigration legislation. They want open borders, which breeds horrible crime. Republicans want security," Trump tweeted. "But I am working on something - it never ends!"
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