The president and Congress are doing everything possible to sabotage a solution for 800,000 young illegal immigrants who were brought into the US by their parents.
As I pointed out in an earlier blog the bipartisan conversation hosted by Trump had so many crosscurrents that a quick deal has become more remote every hour. This microcosm of our government in action is why Americans would be better off if the president and every member of Congress resigned today. It’s impossible for this group of sanctimonious, pseudo intellectuals to govern and make laws.
The meeting on Wednesday was unprecedented as Trump wanted to prove that he is not senile or incapable of leading the country. In this regard he wanted everyone to see him in action as he guided congressional lawmakers to a deal. The president invited the most important congresspeople to a sit-down to negotiate a quick resolution. The most important objective was clear- extend indefinitely the ability of several hundred thousand young illegals to remain in the country. Every person in the room expressed support of this mission.
Moreover, everyone agreed that the new law should be relatively simple and not include more comprehensive immigration issues, such as paths to citizenship for the 10+ million illegals in the country.
Trump was selling hard, but was the only person in the room and among the TV audience that failed to sense that some members were conspiring. Diane Feinstein indicated that a DACA solution should be a clean bill that would enable the 800,000 young people to stay and work in the US. This was a pipe dream.
Although Trump said he would support a clean transaction, he didn’t really mean it. A congressman present pointed out that a DACA solution without border security was a non-starter for House Republicans. Trump said this was not big deal. He was either asleep at the wheel or duplicitous.
Democrats responded that the wall, which is the most offensive part of border security from their perspective, would require a great deal of negotiation and should be part of a follow-up, more comprehensive, immigration bill.
Trump pooh-poohed the sidebars fully aware that he promised, scores of times, to stop illegal immigration with a wall. His base will revolt if any immigration legislation does not include it.
In any case Trump asked a House Republican if he had a bill ready to be enacted. The congressman responded affirmatively and added that it included DACA, elimination of migration and lottery immigration, which I defined in an earlier blog, and the WALL.
At this point everyone knew the situation was dire, except maybe Trump. There would be no quick legislation for the dreamers of DACA. Exacerbating the situation was a court order the next day to reinstall DACA as soon as possible prior to action by Congress.
Trump is only going to get a DACA deal if he instructs conservative lawmakers to stop stirring the pot, and he proposes a wall that is far less intrusive than the one he talks about regularly.
This relatively small issue, DACA, clearly exhibits why our government is unable to rule and legislate. Our leaders have an opportunity to do a simple thing that would benefit many young people, and are unable to perform.