At What Price? Congressional Democrats Divided Over How To Fight For DACA

Swim19 · 09-06-2017, 09:57 PM

Quote:

While*Democrats are mostly*playing wait-and-see to find out what the GOP will propose, they’re making different noises about what they might be willing to accept — and whether they’re willing to vote against*must-pass legislation unless Republicans allow a vote on a clean DACA bill.

“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,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) declared on Wednesday
.
“I’m not sure how you can say you’re going to compromise somebody’s life with money [for border security],” Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) told TPM. “There’s no amount of compromise that I see that risks their lives.”

But demands for a clean bill won’t get them far unless they threaten to use what leverage they have — holding together to vote against a government shutdown or increasing the debt ceiling to force Republican leaders to include DACA in exchange for their votes. And if that fails, Democrats are split on whether they’re willing to give in and allow some more border security funds in exchange for protections for the 800,000 undocumented immigrants in the DACA program.

Democrats were handed more leverage on Wednesday, as Trump agreed to a three-month debt ceiling increase rather than a longer one congressional Republican leaders wanted. But it’s unclear*how they’ll use it.

“I don’t think we should be paying ransom for hostages and that’s exactly what I believe [Republicans are]*asking us to do,” Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) told TPM, repeating comments he made to cheers during a Wednesday morning caucus meeting. “They need our votes on the debt ceiling? Tell them we need 800,000 dreamers. They need our votes on an*omnibus? We need 800,000 dreamers. We need to draw a line in the sand ourselves as we go in to negotiate.”

But Schumer and*House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) haven’t been willing to commit to that. Schumer dodged a direct question Wednesday afternoon about whether Democrats would withhold votes to keep the government open if they don’t get a DACA vote. Gutierrez admitted he didn’t think Democrats were ready to dig in their heels hard enough at this point.

“In the beginning it can look awfully lonely,” Gutierrez said, arguing party leadership will move his way.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) called money*for a border wall a “non-starter,” and said that calling it a fence wouldn’t fix the issue — “If it looks like a wall and it acts like a wall it’s a wall.”

But he was one of a number of Democrats who didn’t rule out some form of increased funding for border security.

“We’ve consistently supported billions of dollars for strengthening our role in terms of technology and personnel on the borders. We’re always looking for cost-effective approaches on the security side,” he said.

“We all support border security but we don’t support billions of dollars on one end of Texas building a wall [in exchange for DACA],” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) told TPM.

The devil is likely to be in the details on what Democrats might be able to support. But with a crowded fall schedule crammed with other major issues*, it’s unclear at this point what hill they’ll be willing to die on to force a DACA vote, and what compromises they might be willing to make.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/demo...fight-for-daca

eva02 · 09-06-2017, 09:59 PM

Didn't schumer make a statement that they are willing to attach this to any must pass bills?

fl_dreamer · 09-06-2017, 09:59 PM

Give trump the damn Wall!!

ceaguila · 09-06-2017, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eva02

Didn't schumer make a statement that they are willing to attach this to any must pass bills?

Yup, he said that today. and after today's new with the debt ceiling, they have a lot of leverage. They better fucking use it

eva02 · 09-06-2017, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceaguila

Yup, he said that today. and after today's new with the debt ceiling, they have a lot of leverage. They better fucking use it

My thing is who decides if it's the 3 month spending bill they pass or the 18 month one?
Does trump have that much leverage to dictate they should go the route of funding until December?

year2010 · 09-06-2017, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eva02

Didn't schumer make a statement that they are willing to attach this to any must pass bills?

yes, but after the ceiling, funding for gov and Harvy as one single bill...they are gonna pass that first, so they can start working on other stuff like the DA, I wish they just attached it tho.

eva02 · 09-06-2017, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by year2010

yes, but after the ceiling, funding for gov and Harvy as one single bill...they are gonna pass that first, so they can start working on other stuff like the DA, I wish they just attached it tho.

I think the thing is the longer 18 month one would require dem support.

This 3 month one would fund the government in the levels it's being funded right now?

Swim19 · 09-06-2017, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eva02

I think the thing is the longer 18 month one would require dem support.

This 3 month one would fund the government in the levels it's being funded right now?

Yes, it's a 3 month extension.

year2010 · 09-06-2017, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eva02

I think the thing is the longer 18 month one would require dem support.

This 3 month one would fund the government in the levels it's being funded right now?

yes, they agreed on the 3 months one it really seems that the senate is going first with DA, the house is still unknown as reported that Ryan is keeping the same congressional schedule. We need to push the house to move, and push Trump to ask the house to do it!

eva02 · 09-06-2017, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by year2010

yes, they agreed on the 3 months one it really seems that the senate is going first with DA, the house is still unknown as reported that Ryan is keeping the same congressional schedule. We need to push the house to move, and push Trump to ask the house to do it!

I see DA passing more now though in December when democratic votes will be needed on new funding bill.

As much as republicans talk about caring for us, they are all bark and no action.

Democrats are fighting for us, their backbone is amazing this time

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17	18	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28

They need you!

Forum links

Resources

Join our list

National calendar of events

February

At What Price? Congressional Democrats Divided Over How To Fight For DACA