DREAM Act Portal Forum - McConnell: “I‘m Optimistic These Negotiations Will Lead To Results”

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday he was optimistic bipartisan talks on immigration and government funding would lead to a deal and he strongly prefers an agreement before Feb. 8, when the current funding expires.

The day after President Donald Trump said he was open to granting a path to citizenship to illegal immigrants known as “Dreamers” who were brought to the United States as children, a key Democratic priority, McConnell said he looked forward to the unveiling of a White House framework on immigration next week.

“I‘m optimistic these ongoing negotiations will lead to results,” McConnell said of talks involving a group of about three dozen senators.

McConnell also restated his pledge to proceed to a debate and vote on immigration and border security in the Senate if a long-term agreement eludes the chamber by Feb. 8, as long as the government stays open.

Earlier this week, he convinced Democrats to support the reopening of government after a weekend shutdown by promising to take up an immigration bill protecting an estimated 700,000 “Dreamers” from deportation.

“The bill I choose to introduce will have an amendment process that will ensure a level playing field at the outset,” he said, pledging to be “fair to all sides.”

Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday that his immigration framework would seek $25 billion for a border wall with Mexico, $5 billion for other border security programs, measures to curb family sponsorship of immigrants, and an overhaul of or end to the visa lottery system.

In exchange, he said he wanted to offer the Dreamers protection from deportation and an “incentive” of citizenship, perhaps in 10 to 12 years.

“We’re going to solve the problem. It’s up to the Democrats, but they (the Dreamers) should not be concerned,” Trump said.

Trump, whose hardline immigration stance was a key part of his 2016 presidential campaign, announced in September he was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program created by Democratic predecessor Barack Obama unless Congress came up with a new law.

Despite Trump’s remarks, Democrats remained cautious ahead of the unveiling of the White House framework.

“The White House unfortunately has proven unreliable and wildly unpredictable,” Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor. “Within the course of hours they say different things. Every time the president moves forward on one thing, his staff pulls him back and undoes what he says.”

Schumer urged the bipartisan group of senators to keep meeting and reach a “narrow” deal on the Dreamers and border security.

“As we found time and again, when we open up the negotiations to discussions of broad immigration reform, there is no end to what each party says could be on the table,” Schumer said.

John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican and a key negotiator, said Trump’s comments “surprised a lot of people” but displayed the president’s eagerness for a permanent solution.

“What he didn’t talk about and what I want to hear from him on is the rest of the requirement, on border security, on diversity lottery and on chain migration,” Cornyn told reporters.

“If we’re going to have a permanent solution on DACA recipients then we need a permanent solution on border security. Which means not only a plan but the funds front-loaded to pay for it.”

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-u...-idUSKBN1FE2QX