Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer are cutting Trump out of the conversation and working on their own DACA deal that would end the government shutdown.
Sen. Dick Durbin says the leaders are talking about a DACA deal:
DURBIN tells me the leaders are talking about a deal, but *no agreement yet* on a date/commitment for a DACA vote and no talks with Trump
— Robert Costa (@costareports) January 21, 2018
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McConnell and Schumer are negotiating without talking to Trump:
After their meeting, McConnell and Schumer don’t have a deal yet, I’m told. Still, senators from both parties who have spoken to the two leaders were optimistic a deal could be reached before 1am
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 21, 2018
Meanwhile, the White House restating their hardline position on immigration:
White House spox @hogangidley45 responds to @LindseyGrahamSC: “As long as Sen. Graham chooses to support legislation that sides with people in this country illegally and unlawfully instead of our own American citizens, we’re going nowhere. He’s been an outlier for years†https://t.co/QUOkPpnczI
— Michael Falcone (@michaelpfalcone) January 21, 2018
It is possible that the Senate arrives at a deal only to have House Republicans or Trump oppose it. If Paul Ryan can’t get the votes to pass it in the House, the Senate agreement will mean nothing. If the House and Senate pass it, but Trump vetos it, the future of the Dreamers could come down to if the Senate has a vetoproof majority.
Never in US history has the country faced a crisis like the government shutdown and been better off without the president around. Trump is the problem, and if he blows up a third DACA deal, the wrath of the American people should all fall on his shoulders.
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
