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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 17 January 2018
Immigration deal distant as leaders try to avert shutdown

Continued from Front senators’ bipartisan pro-
posal “preposterous” and
“Where does it end?” said “utterly ridiculous” and said
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R- it “probably set us back in
S.C. “Does it end with the trying to find a deal.”
government being shut Should federal agencies
down? We should all be close their doors, both par-
kicked out if that happens.” ties would be gambling
Graham is among a half- that the public would
dozen senators of both blame the other side.
parties who crafted an im- Democrats argue that
migration agreement that blame would fall on Re-
Trump shot down last week. publicans, who control
The agreement would Congress and the White
have protected young im- House.
migrants brought to the Republicans say Demo-
country illegally as chil- crats would lose if they
dren — called “Dreamers” tried justifying a shutdown
— and toughened border by blaming Trump and the
security with steps includ- GOP for not agreeing to
ing funds to start building a compromise on immi-
Trump’s long-promised bor- grants. They say that argu-
der wall. Trump has said ment would play especially
he’ll cancel the program poorly for Democratic sen-
— known as the Deferred ators seeking re-election in Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., right, with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., speak during a news conference
on Capitol Hill in Washington, to discuss their bipartisan Dream Act.
Action for Childhood Arriv- the 10 states Trump won in (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
als, or DACA — in March the 2016 election — includ-
if no agreement emerges. ing West Virginia, North Da-
Some Democrats are de- kota and Montana, which
manding a deal as a con- have small numbers of mi-
dition for their vote to keep nority voters.
agencies afloat. Republicans have enough
The White House acknowl- votes to push a measure
edged the unlikelihood of through the House if they
a deal emerging in time. stay largely united. It is pos-
“I think that we’re optimistic sible GOP leaders would
that we’ll get a deal. I think add language extending
this week would be fairly financing for a widely pop-
Herculean,” said White ular children’s health insur-
House aide Marc Short. ance program, making the
Republicans were dis- overall bill more difficult for
cussing legislation financ- Democrats to oppose.
ing agencies into Febru- But some House GOP de-
ary and giving bargainers fense hawks are threaten-
more time to strike deals ing to vote no because
on immigration and a long- they want lawmakers to
term budget. approve long-term spend-
House Republicans were ing for the Pentagon. Con-
meeting privately late servatives were also threat-
Tuesday to discuss their ening to balk.
plans, and bargainers from “The current direction of
both sides talked of gath- negotiations on immigra-
ering Wednesday. Sens. tion and spending is not
Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Jeff encouraging conservative
Flake, R-Ariz., among the members to support that
half-dozen senators who effort,” Rep. Mark Mead-
wrote the bipartisan pro- ows, R-N.C., leader of the
posal, said they were still House Freedom Caucus,
working to build support for said in a text message Tues-
their plan. day. He said initial indica-
But the uproar over Trump’s tions were that “spending
comments last week con- limits are so high that any
tinued to consume that ef- Republican should blush.”
fort. Republicans will need at
Underscoring the harsh least nine Democratic
feelings, Sen. Cory Booker, votes to push a spend-
D-N.J., said Tuesday that ing package through the
Trump’s comment was “re- Senate, which the GOP
ally an affront to the values controls 51-49. Democrats
of this country.” Sen. Tom seeking leverage are forc-
Cotton, R-Ark., an immigra- ing that bill to require 60
tion hard-liner, called the votes for passage.q