Trump 'very open-minded' about funding deal that provides relief to Dreamers
Lindsey Graham: Trump 'very open-minded' about funding deal that provides relief to Dreamers
by Naomi Lim
| December 30, 2018 05:09 PM
https://mediadc.brightspotcdn.com/di...2Fgrahamwh.jpg"The president didn't commit, but I think he's very open-minded," Sen. Lindsey Graham told reporters of his proposal outside the White House after a two-hour lunch with President Trump.Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said he is confident President Trump will sign a border security funding deal to end the partial government shutdown that includes temporary protections to so-called Dreamers.
"The president didn't commit, but I think he's very open-minded," Graham told reporters of his proposal outside the White House after a two-hour lunch with Trump.
While Graham said there was no hope of an agreement offering those under the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program with a pathway to citizenship, he said a $5 billion border security deal could include the Bridge Act. That measure would introduce a three-year, one-time renewable work permit for DACA recipients. The South Carolina Republican, who's been an important figure in past immigration reform negotiations, said there was also the potential for changes to be made to the Temporary Protected Status framework, which gives benefits to foreign nationals from countries experiencing hardship like Haiti.
"I know there are some Democrats out there who would be willing to provide money for wall-border security if we can deal with the DACA population and TPS people and hopefully we can get some serious discussions started maybe as soon as next week," Graham said.
Graham additionally slammed Democratic leaders for their handling of the situation, including House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi who is reportedly holidaying in Hawaii.
"Well, it's pretty hard to get here from Hawaii, but the phones do work. All I can say is that the Democrats have said they're not going to give him a dime for a border wall," he said. "They won't have any money for a physical barrier, a wall, fence, artistically designed slats, and that's not going to fly. So the approach the Democrats have taken has made it pretty hard to have a discussion. They are telling us what they won't do."
The semantics regarding opposition to Trump's so-called border wall when Democrats in the past have supported a fence and are now open to other technological impediments was illogical, Graham told reporters.
"The wall has become a metaphor for border security," he said. "There's nothing immoral about a physical barrier along the border in places it makes sense."
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/n...ef-to-dreamers
