Trump agreed Friday to back a House and Senate agreement to reopen the government. First are the details and then, the real challenge of fashioning a policy in 3 WEEKS.
“Congressional leaders are zeroing in on an agreement to reopen the federal government, that includes a short-term continuing resolution that would fund the government through Feb. 15, according to Democratic sources. The CR would include a vehicle to go to conference on the Department of Homeland Security bill, and has no money allocated for a border wall. The Senate would vote first followed by the House, and the seven-bill CR will also include a furloughed employees backpay provision.”
Trump, who will shortly hold a news conference in the Rose Garden, issued the following statement:
“We have reached a deal to end the shutdown and reopen the federal government,” Trump said. “As everyone knows, I have a very powerful alternative but I’m not going to use it at this time,” Trump added.
(Source here.)
Meanwhile there is a great opportunity and challenge for the Democrats. With 3 WEEKS to go, can they fashion a real immigration policy?
With zero effort I came up with a dozen issues far more important than Trump’s wall.
1, a real policy as to people seeking political or personal asylum,
2. How do we strictly prevent employment of illegal immigrants?
3. Do we want a guest worker system and how do we assure this does not undermine American jobs?
4. Do we want foreign students in US colleges to apply to become residents?
5. Who should be eligible for immigration based on needs of American companies and does that policy include citizenship?
6. How do we normalize the present 12 million illegal aliens?
7. What criminal code do we need to apply to crimes committed by illegal aliens?
8. Family policies .. employment for spouse.
9. Family policies: what if any family members get priority for immigration?
10. What public services, Federal and local, should be available to legal and to illegal immigrant
11. How do we curtail the practice of coming to the US to be delivered as a US citizen?
12. Would a national identity card help address many of these issues?
I suppose we could adopt Mexico’s laws and policies on immigration. Of course that would mean the local police would end up asking for foreign travelers visas and passports.
So the can is kicked down the road, but are democrats really ready to put up immigration plans in a divided government/Congress? Also tis could be where the magician has used big gestures to hide other things going on that are coming to a boil like Venezuela (resolving the Korean war?), Maybe RGB is really ill and the White House has an inside scoop and maybe even Trump does not want two serious political fights should she die or resign in the next few weeks.