Flake plans new push on Dreamers

Despite the collapse of this week’s immigration debate, Jeff Flake isn’t giving up.

The retiring Arizona Republican said he plans to go to the Senate floor as soon as the chamber returns from next week’s recess and will demand a vote on his plan to provide $7.6 billion in border wall money spread over three years in exchange for three years of codification of the expiring Deferred Actions for Childhood Arrivals program.


“I’ll just keep at it. I do think that’s something the Democrats can go for,” Flake said in a telephone interview Friday.

Flake expects co-sponsors in both parties for his effort; Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.) has also spoken favorably of going to a small-ball deal if more comprehensive efforts failed. She said Thursday that she consistently raised the possible backup plan during bipartisan talks that failed to produce a bill that could win 60 votes.

“One of the things I repeatedly said is that: ‘The fallback position might have been better structured as three and three.’ Three years of [border wall] funding for three years of codification of DACA,” Heitkamp said.

The Trump administration may have other plans.

The White House’s early preference going forward is a new bill sponsored by GOP Sens. John Thune of South Dakota, Jerry Moran of Kansas and Rob Portman of Ohio that would provide $25 billion in exchange for permanently extending DACA, an administration official said on Friday. Enrollees would have to reapply every two years under that plan.


The Flake and Thune proposals were introduced after the Senate on Thursday rejected several efforts to protect Dreamers ahead of a March 5 deadline imposed by President Donald Trump.

Trump’s plan to grant a pathway to citizenship to 1.8 million young undocumented immigrants in exchange for $25 billion in border wall money and cuts to legal immigration failed spectacularly, garnering only 39 votes. A bipartisan bill that Flake and Heitkamp helped write that sidestepped those cuts to legal immigration also failed to get 60 votes, falling short at 54.

Flake said support for the centrists’ effort may have been tamped down by the order of the votes on Thursday. The bipartisan amendment came before the Trump-backed bill from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). And Flake suspects many in his party were holding out to vote with Trump.

“We had hopes that we might get to 60. It was difficult given the way it was structured. Having the Grassley proposal last made it difficult,” Flake said. “You had a number of Republicans that felt they needed to vote yes on the president’s proposal.”



https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...-senate-415856

GOD PLEASE have these plans include permission for travel!!

I think with this Democrats/Flake/Collins/Graham should count themselves as the winners. Trump has made major mistake by listening to his idiot aides. Major loss for him.

I'm sure any legalization/extension plan will give permission to travel (for business, education, humanitarian reasons at the very least).

Flake's plan can work with $7B. But I just don't see Democrats giving $25B for just DACA extension.

Same Expectation not only me but for the whole daca population.

damn these assholes sure want to keep us as second-class people with this extending daca bullshit.

Fuck it dude. We'll take this. Just find a nice U.S. citizen babe/stud eventually and get a Green Card.

Is this temporary protection for Dreamers or permanent 2nd class status?

It seems like settling, but considering the circumstances I'll take it. We will all HOPEFULLY adjust status one way or another.

Any bridge act-type fix should be free with 0 funding for his wall. Do not give him a cent after what he's done!

Dems will probably reject 25$ for just DACA