'This week is pivotal' for ensuring DACA fix by year's end, House Republican says

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/th...rticle/2643186

Sorry, i was on my phone and i could not bold the most importa parts.

I got you...

This week will be “decisive” in determining whether Congress is going to pass a legislative fix for undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children by the end of the year, said Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla.

Curbelo stressed that time is running out for lawmakers working on a compromise that effectively weds a solution for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and border security measures.


“This week is pivotal,” Curbelo told reporters. “Unless the Senate is able to produce something, if we don’t get a product out this week, I think it’s going to be very difficult to do it by the end of the year.”

The bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus is working on compromise text they want pushed through before the end of the year as part of negotiations on the larger year-end spending bill Congress must pass by Dec. 22 to keep the government open into the new year.

Curbelo leveled some criticism at the leaders of the Problem Solvers Caucus in particular, saying “there’s been a reluctance to come out and say this is what we propose.”

“The Problem Solvers Caucus as far as I’m concerned has a product,” Curbelo said. “The leadership of the caucus has not agreed to allow that product to be published. It reflects a very healthy compromise.”

“I hold the leadership of the caucus responsible for where we are,” he added.

Pressed on why he blames the leaders — Reps. Tom Reed R-N.Y. and Josh Gottheimer D-N.J. — Curbelo said the co-chairs “have not presented the compromise to the entire caucus to try to get the votes necessary to proceed and time is running out. ”

Reed and Gottheimer defended the work by the caucus, issuing a joint statement in response to Curbelo's comments.

"We are working around the clock to find a dreamer-border security solution, including a meeting we just had this evening with members of the Problem Solvers Caucus and bipartisan leaders on immigration issues," the co-chairs said in a statement. "We are more interested in getting it right than rushing to a reckless plan that fails to achieve a bipartisan solution for the American people.”

Curbelo said the compromise includes Dream Act components to provide a path to citizenship, but didn’t specify. It doesn’t include money for a wall, but does include funds for “some physical barriers but [they’re] very modest.”

There’s no interior enforcement provisions, Curbelo said, referring to measures that would bulk up state and local enforcement and one that would make E-Verify mandatory for all employers.

“This should have been out two weeks ago, three weeks ago,” he said. Asked if the caucus has any assurances from GOP leadership that a compromise like theirs would be moved through the House, Curbelo deflected, saying the bipartisan working group needs to just release a product first.

“But, that takes time which is why it’s been frustrating that we are where we are,” he said. “I’m hopeful that we can get it all done this week and take a run at it next week.”

To do that, Curbelo said, lawmakers on both sides have to realize they aren’t going to get their “ideal” bill.

A number of Democrats — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi included — have said they won’t leave town without a fix for DACA recipients.

There's also a working group on the Senate side trying to come to an agreement on DACA and border security provisions.

Some lawmakers have said they have until March to take action, but Dreamers are already reeling from President Trump’s decision to revoke the program. If Congress delays a fix, DACA recipients whose permits expire after March 5 won’t be able to renew them and large numbers will lose their jobs, and face the risk of deportation.

Duplicated by mistake, ignore

Another article with minor differences
http://thehill.com/latino/364381-cur...ppen-this-week

If a solution is to be found before January, as advocates have urged, Curbelo said, time is running out.

"If we’re going to get this done by the end of the year, we need a product out this week," he said.

Republican members would face some backlash from leadership in demanding a DACA fix in the next two weeks, as Speaker Paul Ryan's (R-Wisc.) team focuses on finalizing a tax bill with Senate negotiators and passing a government spending bill by Dec. 22.

Ryan has said the House will address DACA in the new year, before Trump's March 5 deadline.

Democrats have stuck to the idea that a DACA bill needs to be passed before year's end, and threatened to vote against any spending bill that doesn’t include a fix.

Curbelo said the bill's supporters need to "show strength."

"What we need to do is get the product out, get 50 Republicans and 50 Democrats, and now say we deserve a vote," he said.

"I’m hopeful we can get it all done this week and take a run at it next week."

The Florida lawmaker provided a preview of the bill's contents, which he said "99 percent" of DACA recipients would be "happy with."

"We need people to accept they’re not going to get their ideal bill," he said.

The bill includes provisions from the bipartisan Dream Act, the Democrats' preferred legislative vehicle, and it doesn't cross a series of red lines set by Democrats, according to Curbelo.


Still, Democrats on the left are pursuing a "clean" Dream Act — one devoid of security concessions for Republicans to get on board — and Republicans on the right are demanding an enforcement-heavy approach that Democrats have rejected.

That partisan approach, said Curbelo, is "the reason we are where we are on immigration policy."

Durbin's Dream Act with border security is a fair compromise.

Rep. Curbelo is right - this needs to come out stat and everyone needs to know what's in it. Dream Act or RAC Act with no age cap, reasonable date of entry, no exclusion of those with final orders and border security can pass.

Ideally, this timeline happens:

A. Doug Jones wins the Senate seat in Alabama, effectively giving Republicans about three weeks to pass the tax bill (Before Jones takes the oath).

B. Flake threatens to vote no on the tax bill unless the DACA fix is signed by Trump. Collins flips to no because House GOP refuses to pass Obamacare fix.

C. Senate passes Flake's bill (Effectively RAC) OR House passes its own DREAM Act that Flake is happy with.

D. Other chamber passes the DACA fix.

E. Trump is forced to sign it before January because not doing so will stall/effectively kill the tax bill.

Voila. Shutdown avoided. DACA fix granted.

What's the chance of this, though. Highly unlikely.

EDIT: Also, Democrats probably would be thinking they would hold ground on Dec. 22. Given this:

Mark Meadows speculates that they may need to do yet another CR into early January, then *another* CR with the omnibus cap numbers, and *then* an omnibus before Jan. 21 sequestration. - @MEPFuller

u think Doug Jones will pull an upset?

33 percent chance seems right to me. The landline polls and fundamentals say Moore, but on-the-ground reporting and mobile polls suggest Jones.

Found this nugget: http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3...agenda-in-2018

"If Democrats win the Alabama seat, expectations will be lower and McConnell will have a good excuse to work with Democrats on infrastructure, immigration reform and even banking deregulation."

@chadpergram
Hse/Senate may have to ping pong bill to avoid gov't shutdown by Dec 22 back and forth. Not much time to handle different bills. Senate Dems could insist on attaching Alexander/Murray health care cost-sharing plan. DACA also a wild card. House GOPers won't like either

Disaster aid is huge problem in upcoming fight to avoid gov't shutdown by Dec 22. Puerto Rico is 1 thing. Mbrs from both parties hated the supplemental request submitted for FL/TX. CA wildfires now a big issue. Some won't vote for next spending bill if disaster aid isn't included

Hse GOP managed to pass bill Fri to avoid gov't shutdown with votes only from their side. Lost 18 GOPers. Precisely all they could lose on that vote. Then one of those yeas, fmr GOP AZ Rep Franks resigned. Could be problem on next spending round