Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) defended Democrats from Trump’s claim that Democrats are not acting in good faith on DACA and the Dreamers.
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Flake said, “One thing I take big issue with the president on is he’s saying the Democrats are not moving forward in good faith. I can tell you, I have been negotiating and working with the Democrats on immigration for 17 years. On this issue, on DACA, or on the D.R.E.A.M. Act for a number of years, the Democrats are negotiating in good faith. We’re trying to come forward with a compromise. And I think we have. You’ll see that this week.”
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Whether or not one likes the compromise, Democrats have been working in good faith with Republicans all year to get a compromise that keeps the Dreamers in the country. It is Trump who has been a bad actor. Trump’s goal all along has been to either deport the Dreamers or use them as hostages to get Democrats to support funding for the border wall that Mexico was supposed to be paying for.
Trump is making bipartisan governing and legislating impossible. The President’s impulse is to divide and destroy. He is not willing to compromise and bring people together to achieve a common goal. Democrats have done their best, and if Trump wants to trigger a government shutdown as a way to get his wall paid for, that’s his problem.
Jeff Flake did something rare. He’s a Republican who stated a fact, and his ability to occasionally stick to the facts is why his own party is drumming out of the Senate.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
