Democrats in both the House and Senate wasted no time making Trump and the Republican Party pay for their president’s DACA bigotry by announcing that if the DREAM Act doesn’t come to the floor for a vote in September, they will attach it to every single must pass piece of legislation until it passes.
Video:
.@SenSchumer: "If a clean DREAM Act does not come to the floor in September, we're prepared to attach it to other items…until it passes." pic.twitter.com/4zyQxI0N5t
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 6, 2017
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Senate Democratic leader, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said, “We today are calling on Speaker Ryan and Leader McConnell to immediately put the DREAM Act on the floor for a vote in the House and Senate. We’re ready to pass it. I am confident that if put on the floor, it will garner overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle, but let us say this, I think I speak for the Leader (Pelosi) as well. If a clean DREAM Act does not come to the floor in September, we’re prepared to attach it to other items this fall until it passes.”
By trying to play to his shrinking base, Donald Trump just opened up an immigration issue quagmire that Republicans in both the House and Senate did not want to deal with.
Schumer was correct. The DREAM Act would pass by very large margins if it came to the floor. In fact, it stands a good chance of passing by a veto proof majority.
Trump handed Democrats a gift, as the party is taking a stand for Dreamers and cementing the belief among minority voters that they are not welcome in the Republican Party. Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell are the only two men standing in the way of Trump and a potentially humiliating defeat on DACA. Trump has made it clear through his actions that he wants Dreamers out of the country. Trump thought he was playing to his base, but his plan has backfired and created a fight that he and his party can’t win.
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
