What is the surprise? The country's commander-in-chief is mentally and emotionally unstable. The emotional instability has been obvious for decades. The mental instability has become clear since the thuggish animal was inaugurated. This all is to suggest that America isn't special. It has become the Roman Empire. "Long live the Emperor" cry the Republicans. But the Republic has died.
24
What on earth is going on in America?
Separating children from their parents!? Utterly disgraceful. Contemptible. There are no words.
Why don’t everyday Americans wake up to what is going on? The country is in a terrifying freefall.
30
Donald Trump is a hateful, convoluted, inept mess that is bringing this country down.
When Paul Ryan admits immigration issues here under Trump are troubled, it’s time to be scared.
22
It sounds to me that the "middle ground" bill is a lot like the bipartisan one that the Senate did 5 years ago, and the Tea Party and Freedom Caucus in the House ignored.
I bet if it dropped $$$ for the fake wall, the Dems would be willing to get to real details
But WE all know what the POTUS wants.
Confusion and negation skill claims. Real results are irrelevant.
9
This fellow is a one man tower of Babel.
12
In defense of this inhumane policy Sessions sites Peter from the Bible regarding obeying the law. But I would remind Sessions that Jesus, Peter's boss so to say, has the last word: "Render unto Caesar what is Casaer's, render unto God what is his." And what is to be rendered to God? Jesus says, among other things, "Suffer the little children to come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." He also said, "If thy hand do evil it is better to cut it off and go through life halt and maimed than to abide it." Jeff Sessions, God is coming for you (and your boss).
16
What is SO DIFFICULT? Unite every child with its parent. Then return the whole families to their country of origin, Problem solved...........
5
"It is a man's own mind, nor his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways". -Buddha
He's just plain EVIL...
11
Why are reps from non-border states more vocal about this? To me it’s simply ignorant fear of the outsider and a worry that white folks won’t hold all the power anymore.
8
Our stable genius once again shows his unstableness and daily White House chaos.
9
When is the last time Democrats talked about helping actual American citizens?
5
I doubt Trump and his mob has any interest in implementing any immigration policy unless it pleases his base and gets them vote. As regards to current fiasco and inhuman treatment of families on our southern border ...... I hope ICE is dealing with same harshness and "Jeff Session's biblical" philosophy with illegal European and East European illegal immigrants.
4
Fixing immigration would deny the GOP their main campaign issue, which is fear of immigration . Same for abortion.
9
Lady Liberty is crying rivers of tears!
“A summary of the draft bill said that it would ensure that children apprehended at the border are not separated from their parents while in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security.”
Will we start locking up children with their parents?
And, first they came for...
However, I am still hopeful; love will conquer xenophobia and hate!
3
The NBC Nightly News did well tonight. They covered part of the thing by Trump and followed each of his rants with a FACT CHECK...thanks to a sane approach..
I can't stand to hear the guy lie, lie, lie...
16
We have a full suit, a long tie and an empty head for president. The man operates on impulsive quackery.
God help the U.S, and the world, get through this dark period.
13
It’s one of the lowest points in US if not the world to intentionally take children away from their because they want to come to the US. The vile Jeff Sessions seems to relish the task.
It appears that Trump is doing this in order to get the wall that he is obsessed with. Despite Trump blaming this atrocity on the Democrats he could stop easily stop it.
Where is the outrage! Barack, George W, Bill, George H, Jimmy and everyone else please speak out.
11
Hasn't this nation had A BELLY FULL of Sessions defending HIS CHANGES, 6 weeks ago, to separate every child?
How MANY MORE than 1,995 children will be taken, while Americans wait for Sessions to confirm every reunification?
What reasoning did Sessions initially provide?
- Sending a message.
What justification did Sessions just quote?
- Romans 13.
NO politician is more ELITE than Jeff Sessions who said Americans were "begging and pleading" for this Trump-cult-satisfying, Zero-Tolerance-For-Votes strategy.
Hypocrite Trump PARDONED a financial-fraud-convicted, meatpacking plant owner who was caught with 389 undocumented workers in 2008. Plus, zero crackdown on EMPLOYERS from The Party of Rule-Of-Law for Kids.
2
We should all hope that Mr. Trump has finally created a policy that is even opposed by a sizable portion of his base.
Trump has given a wedge issue to those of us who covet sanity in government. Don't insult Trump voters, use this issue to try to convince them they don't want to stand too close to this man and his policies. The election is only four months away and this could be the tool we need to unify the electorate and vote these people out.
3
Pardon my ignorance but how were these cases handled before? I don't remember children being taken from their moms. Weren't they allowed to stay with mom but separated from dad?
2
It is not creating confusion or giving conflicting statements but a carefully crafted strategy. If you notice he lies directly to his supporters, and presents a tea-party conservative persona on television or twitter when speaking himself. His supporters are attracted to his brash persona and the made up ultimate hardline conservative who throws red meat all the time. Whenever he makes these statements, the corrections usually follow through a statement or staff, when his supporters are not paying attention.
5
There is an immigration problem. There are people escaping their misery to enter the USA. In some ways it has reached crisis proportions. BUT, greed, self-aggrandizement, and the loss of moral perspective have produced a population, albeit a minority but enough to do damage, willing to ignore the suffering of others. The nation's history will be stained once again by this anti-immigrant fervor, a repetition of attitudes and behaviors that have stained our history too often before.
8
I like this diversity lottery idea. With all the world’s countries factored and scaled into the system, every year 6.3 Norwegians will be plucked out from there and transplanted here, regardless if they want to be moved or not. Just imagine the biodiversity our parched arid deserts of Southern California here can boast especially with the addition 6.3 new Norway Spruces. Hope they don’t mind the dry heat, but sorry our law says we gotta have you here, so shut up and wither quietly.
His incoherencies and inconsistencies are increasing with every sentence, and often in the middle of them. Despite close calls he has survived, widely ridiculed but undeterred. Nonetheless millions eagerly await the day he reverses course and steps straight into the path of a speeding bus.
2
Does the House Compromise bill allow for the acceptance of North Koreans into the US which is a major requirement of the president ?
Trump's mental health truly needs to be checked.
Every day he back steps, side steps or goes full speed ahead on a subject, which has to make one question, is he in full control.
This type of behavior is bad for our economy, environment, political stability and the nation's security.
We need to show the world that we have a true checks and balance system that protects America.
5
When dealing with a petulant four year-old, it is OK to ask him whether he wants to wear the red socks or blue socks today, or whether he wants a peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich or macaroni and cheese for lunch. Anything more complex will only cause confusion because of a four year-old's limited conceptual and decision-making skills. And so it goes ...
10
President Trumps back and forth on Syria policies has provoked us to contact Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and recommend they continue their efforts for direct talks with Assad as Trump can't be counted on for any real support and he is constantly changing his mind and his policies.
1
For Mr. Trump it is all about November election now. Appealing to his base is #1 priority and nothing else matters. He just needs talking points for the campaign season.
3
No confusion here. Trump lied when he blamed Democrats for a non-existent law that demands the heartless separation of children and parents on our southern border. He lied about what he accomplished in his summit with Kim Jong-un. He lied about health care. He lied about tax cuts. He lied about his charity which turned out to be nothing more than a tax dodge. He lied about the IG's report "exonerating" him. He lies with every breath he takes. And his Republican enablers let him. Need I say more?
12
There's no law, and tRump is not sorry for any of these children, or any children, anywhere. This is also not the fault of the Democrats; it is a new, highly advertised policy, delivered in person, by jeff sessions. Republicrooks are human right violators, and should be spurned at the polls, in November.
3
Talk about witless. Republicans in Congress have only themselves to blame if they think they’ll ever get a consistent position on any subject out of Trump.
That being said, I am willing to bet a large sum of money that Trump will sign any piece of Republican legislation put on his desk. That’s what he’s done 100% of the time so far, even when the Republican legislation was contrary to his own campaign promises.
1
Whether one detests or supports Trump, it is clear that we must control the flow of people into the United States. That control is a basis of Title 8, United States Code, that I and several hundred thousand other people enforce in and out of uniform for DHS. Without the rule of law, including this body of immigration code, we will soon be overwhelmed by hundreds of millions, eventually at least a billion, uninvited people. The presence of illegals on our ground already exacerbates class and income differences, and indicates the problem that the newcomers don't share our values or language but insist on their own, in many ways diametrically opposed to America's. Something must be done unless we should give up and become a massive third-world demographic nightmare where the wealthy are those who exploit the pool of ever-cheaper labor.
4
Trump’s words mean nothing. Legislators must do their jobs, endorse a compromise if they will, and just send it to the President. Acting like sniveling cowards and saying they will not vote for something unless the president says he will sign it shows republicans to be unworthy of respect and unworthy of their jobs.
4
Trump's excuse for the immigration mess is that he's only following through with Obama's plan that was already in place.
He seems to have an excuse for everything that doesn't show him in the best light.
1
Do you remember that Statue that stands so proudly in New York Harbor? It isn’t worth much these days. Trump and the Republican Party have denigrated her to nothing more than a copper object that holds lies. It’s all greed for power for Trump, McConnell, and Ryan try to oneup each other.
2
Perhaps the confusion rest with the Times. Trump stated he will review both bills and is not inclined to sign a moderate immigration policy.
End of story. There is no drama, or confusion on his part. Instead of putting a liberal anti Trump spin on the news, the Times should just report it and cease with the theatrics.
1
what have we become, terrifying children by taking them away from their parents? Doesn't sound awfully familiar? Isn't that what we did to Native American children, because we said the parents are not fit?
If I take my daughters across stateline without the express consent of my wife (notarized, I know), I can be arrested. It is a felony.
This is a farce.
Is this one of those things where one says "My thoughts and prayers are with the victims"? Is that what the good Christians Ryan and McConnel do?
VOTE in November!
2
Purposeful chaos designed to ensure that we are obsessed with the narcissist. See, it works!
2
Donald J. Trump cares about one thing and one thing only; Donald J. Trump. Anyone who has followed his career over the past 35 yrs understands what drives him; prominence in the headlines. Trump will say and do anything to be the headline of the day regardless of the consequences his words and actions produce and no matter how severe they may be. As president of the United States, his ignorance, arrogance and narcissism have severe long term consequences that his enthralled followers cannot foresee but the rest of us can. How acute is Trump's narcissism? If a million people would be killed because of one of his missteps, he would be bragging about it at his golf course saying that he did it despite his advisors warnings so he won. My example is not far off from the reality of Donald J. Trump.
2
Its not only his back and forth on immigration its the same thing with his foreign policies. We have advised the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) they are now doing the right thing having talks with Assad as they are no longer able have any confidence in the word of Donald Trump as he is constantly changing his mind.
I don’t see where the confusion is; this is business as usual for this man. He will sign whatever the Republican Congress sends his way. Of course, he will. In the meantime, his discourse is tailored to rally the people who still think he walks on water. Whatever he actually “does” is irrelevant. It’s what he says on Fox and Twitter that matters. End of story.
1
Whether or not he will sign it is irrelevant.
1. It hasn’t been voted on in the House, so we don’t know if it will pass or not.
2. It hasn’t been voted on in the Senate, and it won’t pass there. In fact, a bill remarkably like this one was soundly defeated by the Senate already.
1
Two White House staffers appear to have Trump's ear on this issue. The Chief of Staff, John Kelly, supports the separation of children from mothers as, he says, a necessary deterrent to illegal border crossers. Causing harmful trauma to the children, especially the youngest ones? Not his concern.
The other anti-immigration WH staffer with the President's ear is Stephen Miller, who has a long his tory of white nationalist behavior.
Both Kelly and Miller were, according to WH leakers and reported by mass media, the ones who convinced Trump to change his decision on DACA no more than a few hours after he told a bipartisan Senate group, on video, that he supported approval of their bill.
Trump will do what he thinks is of benefit to himself at that moment, a windsock unmoored in human decency.
3
He does not see the immigration problem as a human tragedy, he sees it as a political opportunity. He doesn't care what life long damage he does to children, if he can get an advantage from it with his followers. Mr. Trumps capricious approach should serve as a warning to Speaker Ryan that no legislation is safe. Knowing that, the House should pass the legislation that the majority of its members (not just the Republican caucus) thinks is best. The country does not want money wasted on the wall when our roads and bridges need so much repair.
2
Others probably have already voiced this observation that the separation of children from their parents (and we are talking infants all the way to teenagers) evokes terrible memories of a very dark time in world history when children and their parents were separated never to see each other again and in most cases die under the most barbaric circumstances later to be labeled crimes against humanity. The visuals we now see daily on TV are painful to watch, more so when we look at our own children and shudder. These children have had no choice in coming here and yet they are being punished more severely than hardened criminals who at least have had their day in court. This is plainly wrong. And, should harm of any kind befall any of these children, the outcry will be deafening and Trump will have a larger more vexing problem than he could possibly imagine.
We all understand the need to secure our borders and control immigration but these methods promulgated by the Trump administration are an affront and a mockery to our sense of morals and ethics. This can change only if the members Congress collectively straighten their short backs and move affirmatively to address the immigration once and for all, not piecemeal as being done now.
In the meantime, we as private citizens must do what we can to protect these children as if they were are own by supporting groups who are fighting for the rights of these children to be reunited with their parents.
1
Trump being Trump articulates diametrically opposing views on immigration with dizzying regularity. Sound familiar? Having seen the commander of confusion perform on the public stage since his inauguration, few surprises remain. Donald Trump is clever, lacks a moral compass, demands unquestioning fidelity from his appointees, and is given to self-adulation. As such, he feigns concern for DACA and the children of immigrant families, which urging law enforcement at every level to undertake requisite actions to sustain border security. Republican legislators have no idea whatsoever of what immigration bill, if any, Trump will dignify with his approval. The Barnum and Bailey Circus has been reborn in the corridors of our House of Representatives. Admission is free to anyone with a Twitter account.
3
The issue with which Trump is highly prejudiced about and finds it difficult to have a deliberative policy outcome, he usually tries to obfuscate it with his characteristic for-it-against-it style that's beyond the comprehension of public. His immigration stance just illustrates this.
11
Our founders created a triumvirate to run the US. A President, the Courts and a Congress.
Each of the three branches are there to equalize the power, so that one entity does not totally control or become a strong man, king or dictator over the American people.
I've never seen a GOP Congress so afraid of a President on every pending matter. Grow up, compromise with the Democrats, take control, and legislate a veto proof majority, not only with immigration, but also protecting our national security with sanctions over China and Russia!!!
Stop being cowards. Defend and take back our democracy from this President, that is trying to run our democracy into the ground.
If you're afraid to do so, resign, so that someone else who is not afraid to defend our democracy can legislate. The majority of us did not elect you to support a potential strong man, king or dictator.
Where is your patriotism for all of us, America?
Now!!!
40
Quandry, excellent comment - but it's already happening, without the hoped-for result. At least 44 House Republicans announced they're retiring, but many people running for those spots are far more extreme, made in Trump's dirty mold.
2
When three stars align from where we see them they all look like one, so which one is the lead star? It’s easy to balance three things when you stand them all on each other’s heads. If any of the founders had ever been to a circus they’d have seen this in a second. Any good juggler can be a dictator in America with the rules it wrote. And guess who the clowns are.
Oh Paul Ryan. So much to answer for.
You’re resigning rather than face the possibility of being swept out in November. All of your legislation is dead on arrival. Trump humiliates and undercuts you at every turn.
Why are you still carrying water for this guy? What are you getting out of this relationship?
Tell us what you think and what you know! You might just escape Washington with a shred of dignity.
57
Time for 45 to own the atrocity of detention centers. We can start by calling them "Trump Toddler Camps".
47
Another in a long line of “final” amnesty proposals, stealthily inviting another wave of illegal immigration to be reckoned with in 20-30 years.
Later, rinse, repeat.
Of course, I would bet my bottom dollar many readers and commenters of the NYT are totally in support of unlimited unskilled immigration as long as their lawns are kept up.
17
And cheap construction labor here in Seattle which is going through the biggest amount of construction I have ever seen in one city.
I suspect that it is a GOP modus operandi to look for immigrants to do the work they don't want to do. Look at the coal miners - they refuse to do anything more than mine.
Care to provide an economic justification for the right's apparent hatred of illegal immigrants?
We have heard all about them being criminals, racists and other the condescending terms in an effort to de-humanize them...paving the way to treating them like animals.
Can you, or anyone, prove the alleged economic harm they are doing to this country?
1
Trump, realizing how despicable his policy to seprate asylum seaking parents from their children is looking to the public, is now saying 'the Democrats' are behind these vile deeds. Everyone in the world knows he is lying. It's what he does. All Democrats are fight back against these human rights violations, and now even the hypocritical Christian right is seeing this as a bar too low.
I can only hope he will be held accountable for his attacks against our nation.
32
Meant 'asylum seeking'...also meant 'All Democrats are fighting back.' When I'm extremely angry I don't proof read closely enough and I'm extremely angry.
Time to update the story. He’s already changed his mind. This guy has no clue.
21
The Khmer Rouge separated the parents from the children so that the children could be enslaved to build a dam (by buckets, bamboo sticks, and hands) across a river during monsoon season.
On this immigration issue, I am truly beginning to fear the worst in our human purpose. I am starting to trust absolutely no one. Not the Dems, the Reps, Trump, Sessions, even us. I don't trust us anymore!!! We just LOVE to enslave the weak and disenfranchised.
17
I am wondering why there haven't been show visits to any girls' shelters. I am wondering if the "older" girls are having to take care of the younger ones.
The people getting arrested for the deportations are Americans.
Small business owners are hiring the illegals and hiring Italian Americans to get deported in their place. Drive down the wages of Americans - go to the Government. Carl MArx. Liberalism is for limousine liberals. The Country dont like you
Paul Ryan and the Trumpublicans, are simply puppets of Donald's! They did ONE thing this year, passed the Tax Cut for the Wealthiest! Period.
Trumpublicans have no morals, no backbone, no honesty. They cannot ...ever...claim to be "Christians" they are not.
Hey, Jeff Sessions and Trumpublicans, here's a quote from my Lord and Savior: "Whatsoever YOU do to the least of these YOU have done to me..." - JESUS (Gospel of Matthew 25:40)
15
Send all of the immigrant children to Mar-A-Largo and to Jeff Session’s home town!
13
Mr. Ryan has the opportunity to make a statement, regardless of Mr. Trump. He should proceed with trying to pass an immigration bill regardless of what DT will do - and since what he will do is completely unpredictable, Ryan should proceed. The moral cowardice of the GOP is on full display with the immigration situation we have. Separating children from their parents, deporting people who are working and have been here for years with the full knowledge of the Federal Government, using the Bible to justify an immoral position - it's just astounding. Mr. Ryan and Mr. McConnell will surely go down in history as two of the most immoral and spineless political leaders in the history of our nation.
11
Actually, the bible has no problem with separating children from their parents and gives all the rules for such an action. One was allowed to sell his daughters as slaves, for example.
As long as Pres. Trump doesn't get snookered again by Ryan and leaves out the mandatory, nation-wide, E-Verify requirement -- which isn't in the Goodlatte bill -- I am good.
3
Useless Emotion and intellectual/moral bankruptcy (must not be confused with empathy) can not and must not be any basis to make public policy.
A person or family who break laws of a country from the very beginning can not be much trusted and productive as future immigrants and citizens. People with self respect and sense of duty do not do that.
There are so many other countries in the world (starting from Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, sub Saharan Africa etc.) facing far worse socio-economic and political problem than Mexico or any Latin American countries. Should we tell people there that they somehow need to come to US border or arrive into USA illegally and everything would be taken care of (by corrupt churches and/or Democratic party)? Think about it.
7
There are an estimated 65 million refugees worldwide - so far this fiscal year, the U.S. has taken in approximately 10,500, the lowest number since 1980.
We have admitted 11 Syrians this year, fleeing from atrocities of a civil war. Our record is dismal, and I hope for your sake that you never experience the trauma any of these people go through, wether they come from Central America or Western Asia.
4
Bonku wrote:
"People with self respect and sense of duty do not do that (break the laws of a country)."
Spoken like a person that has no experience with desperation. When the lives of you and your family or loved ones are seriously threatened, becuase they live in dangerous environments, whether it be from war, starvation or cultures of criminality, virtually any action taken to unsure survival is 100% justifiable.
if the only options are to give up and die or move to a place that is safer and/or better what choice do they have? c
These people come out of circumstances beyond their control and deserve at the very least to be treated humanly.
And anyone who says otherwise is certainly no Christian.
seems like Trump has stiffed workers and broke laws...too bad he can't be deported...think about that
Can't they override a veto with enough votes? Try working across the aisle. Get it done.
8
Fighting on this issue is playing right into Trump's hands. It energizes his base and sidelines the Mueller investigation
3
All I can say is that this is the leadership that America voted for. To those who didn't vote, I say: VOTE. And vote strategically not just idealistically.
14
Question - if Hillary had been elected, what do you think she would be currently doing about immigration? Would she handle things differently than Bill did when she was First Lady and could have led a protest or two on the White House lawn over his policies?
Considering that Hillary was giving private speeches to Wall Street during her campaign but refusing to release transcripts, do we think she would have taxed the rich...her friends or would she have signed a tax cut? :)
The only thing I see differently today with Trump as president than if Hillary was currently president is that she turns on spellcheck when she tweets. There would still be unending war in Afghanistan, saber rattling with Iran, support for Saudi Arabia vs. Yemen, etc.
Hillary and Donald have been friends for years and their daughters were best friends. They are cut from the same cloth.
I saw the gaggle of reporters this morning questioning Trump, and I saw Sarah H. Sanders in pressers respond to the media. I am disappointed that no one in the media pointedly ask and insist upon a simple answer:
Tell us what title and section of the federal statute you are relying upon to separate children from their parents?
If Trump or Sander are evasive, then follow up:
You would agree the American Public cannot rely upon your answer if you cannot name the statute?
I know the media is fatigued, as am I, but why let Trump off the hook with lies?
26
Pretty easy:
8 U.S. Code 1325 (a): Any alien who (1) enters or attempts to enter the United States at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers, or (2) eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers, or (3) attempts to enter or obtains entry to the United States by a willfully false or misleading representation or the willful concealment of a material fact, shall, for the first commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18 or imprisoned not more than 6 months, or both, and, for a subsequent commission of any such offense, be fined under title 18, or imprisoned not more than 2 years, or both.
Under the Flores settlement (1997), the government is required to release immigrant children from detention without unnecessary delay or place them in the least restrictive setting appropriate for their ages. Hence under current US legislation, kids are not allowed to be detained with their parents. The Obama administration tried to set up family detention centers but was slapped down by the Ninth Circuit for breaching the Flores settlement.
2/3 vote overrides a veto. House only needs about 20-30 Repubs to join Dems to do this. Stop being bullied.
13
I don’t like making predictions but here is one: the DACA recipients will be denied legal status and be deported. Thank you Donnie Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan.
We are a nation of immigrants.
14
Dear Speaker Ayn Ryan:
Accountability.
Say it loud. Say it proud.
Do what is right for your district.
Hang the consequences.
Refusal to vote for it resides with each of your colleagues individually.
Refusal to sign the bill,
well that rests with Dear Leader Donnie.
The ultimate fate of a bill should not change the moral and fiscal practicalities of legislation.
Heck.
The legislation might not even pass in the Senate.
Then they would be accountable.
Your political legacy is drawing to a close.
You might consider doing something out of principle.
But why change now?
16
Protect the fetus. Nothing matters but fetus developing to full term as the divine being she/he is. Wonderful!
Then medical care, housing, education,nutrition and protection for these babies is scuttled for them,their mothers and fathers. Healthcare for all is fought tooth and nail by these Gopers. Name the program, except taxes, defense spending, and business accommodations, and nothing is worthy of Gop support. Fetus Yes, Baby NO.
No,the border separation of babies from mothers dovetails with our failure and unwillingness to address the needs of millions of Americans. The Immigration bill is no different then many other pieces of legislation going into the GREAT SWAMP of Trump. See, there's a head bobbing,it's a baby and the president will help, not.
11
"The last thing we want to do" is bring something to the floor that will never make it into law. Seriously, this president operates on gut and feeling of the moment; do you have any clue what he will REALLY do? Besides, your constituents criticize you for doing nothing. Repeatedly refusing to bring something to the floor only reaffirms the belief that you are doing nothing. Develop some backbone and fortitude, Ryan!
23
The last thing we want to do,” Mr. Ryan said, “is have some kind of an exercise in futility where we have, like, a discharge petition that brings something that will never make it into law.”
Like all the votes to repeal the ACA?
44
Paul Ryan looks tired and stressed. Now he knows how I feel. At least he and his family are not about to lose their health insurance.
WWARD? What Would Ayn Rand Do?
32
Come on people wake up. Haven't we figured out want trumps game plan is; he started out using the DACA youth as pawns to get funding for his border wall, along with other immigration items he wants. Trump realized that the DACA kids didn't get it done, so now he using the immigrant children, by separating them from there parents. He has taken America to a new low, by holding both the DACA and immigration youth as hostages. Trump admitted this is one of his tweets today by listing what he wants to end both, at the top of the list was full funding for his border wall. Guess he finally realized that Mexico wasn't going to write him check. He blames the democrats, but yet he is the one who told Sessions to do it. Everyone knows that Trump could make a phone call or sign an Executive Order (if needed) to end the separations. If this continues the Democrats surely need to use this against trump and republicans who wont stand up to him.
14
Dear GOP: You control the ENTIRE government. You are useless.
42
For Republicans, the more they can persecute brown people, the better they feel. Trump is just conveying that sentiment, and showing his base that he won't allow gentler people to prevail. Knuckle dragging and chest beating for all concerned.
16
I'm thinking De Niro had it right.
Let's keep it simple. Stop listening to Trump and move past his hate-filled, idiotic worldview.
15
Where are the girls? Showing boys at Walmart--but where are the girls? One shudders at potential placements. C'mon America--Enough is Enough!
11
The Separator-in-Chief isn't going to get a bill that he would sign. Still, Congress should try.
12
It’s about time that Republicans grow a spine and send Trump a message by telling him he has to stop holding hostage people who were innocent kids, who had no say in coming here, and who are totally acclimated, better educated and more patriotic than he, and strangers to their homelands.
He’s happy to let the “Dreamers” twist in the wind as he cages the new kids who have arrived, shamelessly lying that it’s the Democrats who are doing it, to kids just as innocent as the Dreamers, separating them from their parents, showing them what Jews experienced in Hitler’s Germany, to America’s everlasting shame—and the Republican party’s, which is writing history to stand with the Japanese interments and the McCarthy Hearings!
Republicans need to act like responsible, compassionate adults—a concept alien to Trump—and work with Democrats to craft an immigration-reform bill that will have the bipartisan support of sufficient members to override Trump’s veto, telling him once and for all that America’s government is not his and not about his way or the highway!
Will Republicans do what they were elected to do and join with Democrats to govern, to provide the constitutional check on Trump their oaths demand? Democrats, Independents, and Republicans who haven’t drunk the Kool-Aid or joined the fringe of insanity and hate are watching… and waiting to vote!
15
Trump is an inveterate contrarian, a rebel without cause, again exposing his xenophobia and lack of justice, let alone compassion. He is a 'weather vane', capricious to the winds of an ever changing mood, who could care less about reason and common sense. America used to be a country of immigrants (after the Natives were 'conveniently' tucked in reservations, that is). No more. An undocumented individual must be desperate to come, in spite of not being welcome. Otherwise,why are we 'foreigners' called "Aliens" in spite of having all papers in order, legally in these United States? Not only legally here, but contributing to the well being of society? Have we reverted to tribalism again (Us vs Them), just because we have an ugly American in-chief telling us do as he says...or else? No values, self-respect, decency and solidarity may be what this despot thrives on; but must we abide by unjust laws, erase our conscience (that knows right from wrong intuitively)?
13
Apparently there is a way forward if the 45th refuses to sign.
Congress can override the presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in each house, then it becomes law without the president's signature.
Republicans are you going to wake up? Grow a backbone. Do what you are paid for, take responsibility and use your constitutional powers to do your duty i.e. serve the country instead of prostrating your quivering, cowardly selves before the man-child, and for goodness sake stop wasting tax-payers money?
21
Paul Ryan is a creep, he lied to the little DACA girl last year, and he has been an enabler for this racist and bigot in the Oval Office.
26
I'd like to see the Trump Whisperer and apologist Alan Dershowitz someone I used to respect, but think of him now the same way as F. Lee Baily after the O.J. trial.
Maybe Alan can spend some time doing pro-bono work for the DACA children and stop being a Gadfly around the television cameras for Trump.
31
Agree! Alan Dershowitz has sold his soul. Zero respect for him.
15
At one time I considered Alan the greatest legal mind in our country. Now? He is like Rudy without as much theatrics.
Why are commentators blaming the GOP and Trump for potentially killing the compromise bill? The Democrats are the ones who refuse to pass it in the House. Trump misspoke about not wanting to sign it (that happens a lot with him) - he now says he would fully support either of the two bills.
The Democrats and the GOP hardliners are holding it back. The Dems would not accept anything short of open borders (they don't really care for DACA or separating detained families at the border) and the GOP hardliner would not accept anything that gives a single illegal alien a second chance, no matter the circumstances. Both are extremists and both are ideology driven.
Personally I disagree with the compromise bill because it irresponsibly removes per-country limits for employment based immigration. This would prevent highly skilled non-IT immigrants from getting a green card and take away well-paying, low-level IT jobs from US citizens and permanent residents. All green cards would go to a single country (India) and only IT folks would be able to immigrate. Those IT jobs are the best replacement for the failed manufacturing jobs. Other than that the compromise bill is pretty good for DACA (path to citizenship), legal "DACA" (DALCA) and highly skilled immigrants. It also preserves US citizens' right to sponsor parents for green card.
3
Are you aware that the so-called Republicans control all three branches of government?
When you become aware of this fact, you will understand why people hold Republicans responsible.
15
Glad to hear Trump will not sign the compromise bill. This will add to the impression that the GOP, despite controlling all three branches of government, can get very little done. It will also prevent billions being wasted on Trump's worthless wall.
So keep it up, Republicans, the less you accomplish, the better it is for America and the world. Fight against each other even more if you can, because the free world wants Trump to lose his next election. Not the whole world, because dictators really love him, just as he loves them.
12
Ryan should not anticipate whether Trump will or will not sign a bill. The important thing is to work out a bill -- with the cooperation of Democrats -- that is best for the country and that ends some of the atrocities currently being committed. Congress has equal powers to the presidency, and it should step up to its constitutional role, including the involvement of all elected representatives. Three million more Americans voted for Hillary Clinton. These voters need representation, as do all Democratic voters in the country. Ryan should not hide behind the Hastert Rule, named for a GOP pedophile, and he should not hide behind Trump's bigotry.
Congress is not a rubber stamp for whatever Trump whats and it is not a Magic 8 ball, trying to guess.
About 2,000 children including toddlers and babies have been ripped away from the immigrant families in the last six weeks alone, in a crime against humanity. Some are held in cages and kennels. Private prison companies are being paid to build prison camps for the children.
At some point, why won't the Republicans do what is right? What is good and moral? What is just and conforms to the core principles of this country?
Never before has this evil been committed here in America although it has sinister precedents in fascist countries.
At long last, have you no shame, Republicans?
47
I guess the American citizens of Japanese decent during WWII who were imprisoned don't count?
11
The children were not taken from their families then, although it also was a shameful episode in American history.
Can you spell Stephen Miller - Trump is just a simple racist but has surrounded himself with true believers that whisper into his ear.
21
When is the Republican Party going to wake up and find that there is a Mole in their garden of "lies" put there by their corporate buddies and their determination to pass laws undermining our democratic values and election processes. This party has told this same story to American People for the last 12 years. From Karl Rove onward, propaganda has been the number one choice of this party until it has turned around and started eating at its very foundation. The Republican Party has committed treason, violated their oaths of office, committed outright felonies of lying and corruption of the process. Many Democrats seem glued to their own lack of integrity for calling out this treason of our country and instead are just waiting and hoping something will come along to put them in power and then we start all over again with the Blame Game. IMPEACH TRUMP and PENCE. Saving America is getting out of reach..just like Climate Change. Sticking their heads in the sand won't cure this ill. Passing Tax Cuts for the Rich, cutting programs for the poor, setting up concentration camps for children, torturing immigrants, approving heads of agencies without credentials, cutting federal agency staff, appointing immoral federal judges, electing right wing thugs dressed in hate suits, kicking our world partners to the street. Russia has won and Trump has been their Mole all along and the Republican Party has been an accessory to this CRIME.
14
Wasn't it just yesterday that Trump's own White House communicated that Trump would sign either compromise immigration bill the Republicans had put together?
12
Once again, the more rational lawmakers fail to pass the “cruelty test” needed to advance legislation with the Trump administration.
6
trump said he supported both bills yesterday, then he spoke to his advisors at Fox News this morning and was reminded he does'nt support them.
29
"The evil that men do, live long after they are gone, so it is with Trump"
That's from Shakespeare's Cesar, he goes on to say, that the good they do is often buried with their bones, so let it be with Cesar. But since Trump has NEVER don't anything for anyone, but himself, he has done no good deeds, to be remembered for. In fact history will record a far different Trump, from the one he thinks he is. However, the evil that he does, will live on long after he's gone.
9
There is no advantage to the President or Republicans to pass any law. If they do they will be blamed for it. Right now the President has dictatorial power over immigration and can blame Democrats for the disaster and mayhem he has created. Why would he or Republicans in Congress want to give that up?
5
To quote Saint Ronald: "Government doesn't work. Elect Republicans and they'll prove it."
26
If Democrats are all but certain to vote against the compromise bill, it shows that they would sacrifice "Dreamers" enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival program to avoid make illegal immigration more difficult for illegal immigrants of the future.
3
Oh baloney. They would vote against the bill because of the required funding for that stupid wall that won't keep a single person out of our country in any event. Just a Trump boondoggle that his "base" thinks will magically solve all of their problems (hint: it won't) that will cost we the peons and our great-grandchildren billions of unfunded dollars.
10
Well, you nailed it right there -- they're hostages. Trump and his fellow Republican cronies are using the dreamers, and those children, and those families as hostages to get his way, to get his idiotic wall. He's an insufferable lying pig who moves one step closer to becoming a despot every day.
8
Trump has undercut wimpy, spineless Ryan once again. He has no desire to eliminate the issue of immigration after more than two years of fanning the nativist tendencies of his base.
A couple more members were all that was needed on the discharge petition and I would hope that some more would now remember their role in the system of checks and balances.
11
Just another smoke screen by the GOP to make it seem as though they actually are doing something on behalf of the country AND their base. Well, it is plain to see that there is no desire to alienate the GOP base while trying to placate Chump with that ridiculous wall funding.
All the voters that would check their ethnicity on the Census are watching as is the world. What is this country becoming like?
4
The more Mr.Trump drags his feet on passing immigration legislation and balks at funding healthcare, the easier time the Democrats will have in November.The mantra for Democrats should be , " it's health care stupid" because people truly understand the costs of health care and they really do care about immigration.
6
It would be quite nice if the New York Times would provide an in-depth article about the law and court order(s) that have given rise to the perpetual Donald Trump and Sara Huckabee-Sanders lie about Democrats being responsible for forcing the Trump Administration and the Jeff Sessions Justice Department's wholesale incarceration of immigrant children at U.S. borders. It doesn't even appear that W.H. press reporters know how to refute the Huckabee-Sanders' "biblical" lies.
The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, (TVPRA) was signed into law by President George W. Bush and earlier "The Flores Settlement" (1997-Bill Clinton). Both dealt with Unaccompanied minors detained at our borders. (Flores v. Lynch and Flores v. Sessions- both address this issue as well as bond hearings for detained unaccompanied minors). None of them (the original Flores Settlement or the TVPRA require this administration to remove children from their parents (accompanied minors) to be placed in dog-kennels or shipped to unknown destinations. It is essential that Due Dilligence (by facts) be presented by this news paper- to put this lie to rest. The Washington Post has a great readable piece. (www.washingtonpost.com May 30, 2018)
9
"I, like most Americans, grew up convinced that the horrors of 1930s and 40s Germany would never happen here. Not in my lifetime at any rate. I was wrong. It’s begun. Border agents are telling mothers and fathers they are taking their child for a bath and not returning them. Sound familiar?...I’ve had enough of walls. I’ve already seen more hate in my native country than I ever thought I would. If we can answer the question Sarah Huckabee Sanders could or would not, we must [peacefully] oppose this government with every fiber of our being."
https://medium.com/@craig.axford/this-could-be-my-family-15ee6b405244
36
Really, does it matter, or is all of this just kabuki? However this comes out, hes just going to blame it on the Democrats anyway.
11
Hey ... better than a wall ... be so cruel and heartless that no one will want to come here anyway ... because the bible tells you so ... our prayers and thoughts go with you ...
6
He's just wending his way towards abolishing Congress.
5
Democrats rail against income inequality, but they want to import millions more poor people. Oh, right. Votes.
8
Your white supremist in charge is reprehensible with a record of racist rhetoric that goes back decades. Get a clue. Hatred for people of a different skin complexion is outdated and disgusting.
11
Correction:
The Statue of Liberty is not a Democrat.
6
@M: Trump is president in SPITE of voters' wishes, so that would be a pretty bad strategy.
And in any case, I'm not sure you understand just what kind of income inequality we're talking about if you think cracking down on immigrants is going to solve it. As companies have started disclosing the extent of the gap between C-level execs and their median employees, the ratios are unbelievable.
Umpqua Bank's on the more generous side at 55:1. Teva Pharm. sits at 302:1. Honywell has managed to reach 333:1 ratio. These figures are after Trump's corporate tax cut give away, mind you. Y'know, the one to give businesses "relief" from their crushing financial burdens. Unless you plan to deport greed, automation and/or corruption out of the country, immigration policy is not going to close the gap. But greed respects no borders, automation is not going to be stopped and anyone who honestly thinks Trump is fighting corruption is beyond rational argument.
9
mmmmh, who controls de House and Congress???
besides we all know he loves to blame others but never admit his wrongs.
He could easily sign the immigration bill, if he is so outraged by separating families at the border. He is choosing NOT TO.
He is such an evil person that he is enjoying what it happening and the fact that he can blame on someone else...
I just can tell you that karma never forgets...
23
He could also easily revoke his own order that children be torn out of the arms of their mothers at the border - that is NOT a law passed by Congress, it is only Trump's own policy. His worshippers don't care, but the rest of us do - and we'll remember come November...
14
well. it is true that only Trump can revoke it, BUT Congress and the House could all support signing an immigration bill.
"It is a man's own mind, nor his enemy or foe, that lures him to evil ways". -Buddha
When we look back in twenty years, I think the way the Trump led cult, also known as the GOP, talked about and treated immigrants will be a grievous stain on our nation's history. It is immoral, inhumane, and counter to the manner in which this country was built. It's a bunch of elderly white men clinging to the past, indifferent to the truth of how they happened to get here.
I hope that the GOP continues to tie itself in knots over this and that this becomes the albatross around their collective necks. The stupidity of using the Bible to defend this is really outrageous, even for the GOP. And those evangelicals, wringing their hands and blaming everyone but Donald.
Donald, Stephen Miller, Mark Meadows, Jim Jordan etc., you are all just disgraceful creatures.
38
Miller isn't elderly, but he is a premier incel.
6
This is all soooo unnecessary, Mexico is paying for the wall, right?
7
Well, Rep. Denham, CA-10th, your President just cooked your electoral goose.
Between the immigration stalemate that leaves your grower/donors without harvest workers, and the China trade war that will leave them without markets for their a'mins and pistachios, those who've supported you will reap the righteous whirlwind that their GOP votes have sown.
78
@the dogfather: Thank you for some fellow Californian sarcasm: "a'mins" and all. Nothing like water-intensive nut crops-a huge export market- and no workers. The irony is just too wicked.
11
What a patriot you are. What other states and citizens would you like to see disadvantaged? MAGA
Alicia: you may think of me as the Loyal Opposition - verry loyal to the American Idea, and unalterably opposed to the madness that is all things Trump.
Responding to your question - I would like to see New Mexico blue, and you in the permanent maganority.
3
I do not believe Mr. Trump will ever sign a moderate immigration bill. He will never sign an immigration bill that is reasonable, fact-based, decent and humane. His base would not permit him to. Signing such a bill would violate the very thing that his base adores him for, and which he uses to manipulate them: racism. Trump continues to push his toxic lies: that all immigrants are brown people, and brown people are lazy unpatriotic criminals. Such lies are now becoming policies, rules and laws.
The NPR news story this morning was a chilling case in point. NPR reporters interviewed the staff at several of the centers that are holding the children taken from families. The staff told the reporters that they were not legally allowed to hold or comfort the children. There is in fact no law like that. They were even instructed to stop siblings from hugging one another. Many of the taken children are very young. Some are still nursing.
10
If this is so, it should be the headline on every newspaper, the lead of every news cast, it should be plastered everywhere. This is the first I've heard it and I read quite a bit of news. The ones who really need to know it don't usually stay informed. This is beyond cruel and it could finally take the blinders off some of his supporters.
4
Trump will be re-elected based on democrats love of illegal immigration.
6
It's mind-boggling to me that people actually believe that democrats are pro illegal immigration because they are not on-board with the cruelty, stupidity and lawlessness of this administration.
Obama deported over 2.5 million people, he didn't use abuse, gratuitous punishment, cruelty, nor did he stoke the fires of racism, xenophobia or jingoism to do it.
18
There actually aren’t enough racists.
Just wait until the ads start airing showing hysterically crying children and babies being ripped from the arms of screaming mothers - aimed at suburban women who are going to vote against every Republican on their particular ballot...
4
As long as the gop can prevent a reasonable bill from happening, the golfer in chief can blame everyone else for his lack of leadership.
5
Reduce the border wall funding, add a path to citizenship and pass it anyway.’Call the bluff -?llet Trump refuse to sign it! I’ll bet he won’t. You have nothing to Los!
1
We need to wait until Sean Hannity tells Trump what to do
26
Miller has already told him.
2
Congress could easily override Trump's veto but they value their jobs rather than the good of our Country. They are loathsome.
10
How can you talk like that after all the nice things they've said about you ?
The true shame here is that a good working Congress would put together a bill that would serve this country correctly and if President Stupid didn't sign it then they would over ride him and pass it themselves and show him that he's not the king that he think's he is.
18
Good. Any bill that transforms our immigration system in to one that serves companies not immigrants and gives even one nickle to that stupid wall should never have been drafted.
11
The money would have to be budgeted even assuming one of those full-fund "compromise" Republican bills had been passed, and the budget isn't going to be passed until AFTER mid-terms. Even if such a provision is put into law and funded, in 2019 the Democrats will blow it up, just the way the Republicans have been blowing up Democratic budget proposals for years. they're even working on rescinding budgeting and funding that they approved in 2017!
1
After the president's comments about his refusal to compromise on immigration, Paul Ryan literally looks like "the fool on the Hill".
3
And a couple of years from now, while a defeated DT has retired to his Tower to help a ghostwriter compose "his" memoirs, that "fool" as you call him will still be calling many of the shots on Capitol Hill.
I hope that scientists will discover or invent a soul, so that Republicans will have a chance to cleanse theirs.
4
"My way or the highway" (oops there is nothing for highways on the docket for this president either), says the president. Yet, he said he would sign whatever compromise immigration measure that the Congress submitted to him. So, instead of keeping his word, we're going to build tent cities.
I guess we Americans need to look on the bright side. At long last, the federal government is going to fund an infrastructure program. Tent cities. Undoubtedly he will tell us (and many will believe) that building tent cities will create millions of new jobs. Good paying jobs at that.
Watch for "Trump Tents." It will be a new charity founded by the Trump Family.
6
-- “The last thing we want to do,” Mr. Ryan said, “is have some kind of an exercise in futility where we have, like, a discharge petition that brings something that will never make it into law.”
Sure. Republicans in Congress did exactly this more than 50 times trying to repeal the ACA while Obama was president. Did Ryan protest then?
13
“The last thing we want to do,” Mr. Ryan said, “is have some kind of an exercise in futility where we have, like, a discharge petition that brings something that will never make it into law.”
This is why, regardless of party, Congress has a lower approval rating than the President. If you do your job and our President wants to veto, then the blame lies with him exclusively. Jeff Flake advocated for this months ago, before his party and his President decided he was a pariah. So now we have a Congress that only will bring forward what our President will sign, begging the question why we have them at all.
14
" If you do your job and our President wants to veto, then the blame lies with him exclusively."
This is it in a nutshell. Congress should do its job, and let POTUS worry about his own optics. Their responsibility is not to only hand him things he likes. Congress is supposed to be an independent body, not beholden to the executive branch. It's called "checks and balances."
5
Let's keep the immigration issue in context that in 2013 (Under the leadership of President Obama) a thorough and bipartisan bill passed the Senate, but was blocked by republicans in the house(and the leader) from even coming up for a vote.
It is clear for all to see, that republicans (and especially the President) want the issue at the forefront to demagogue, run on in elections and raise money, instead of actually dealing with the issue. (let alone ripping kids/babies away from their mothers and families)
We will have to wait until Democrats have complete control of the Presidency and Congress, before the matter is adjudicated.
13
Let's keep the immigration issue in context that in 2013 (Under the leadership of President Obama) a thorough and bipartisan bill passed the Senate, but was blocked by republicans in the house(and the leader) from even coming up for a vote.
It is clear for all to see, that republicans (and especially the President) want the issue at the forefront to demagogue, run on in elections and raise money, instead of actually dealing with the issue. (let alone ripping kids/babies away from their mothers and families)
We will have to wait until Democrats have complete control of the Presidency and Congress, before the matter is adjudicated.
3
As long as Republicans are in power, the dynamics are clear: immigration "compromises" will keep moving relentlessly to the right, and even so they won't become law because, frankly, Trump despises immigrants.
If this is what you want, vote Republican.
If it isn't, be clear: voting for so-called "moderate" Republicans will achieve the exact same result as voting for Steve King or Sheriff Joe Arpaio would.
1
This whole thing has reached crisis mode. If the GOP were decent people serving all the people they would put together a bipartisan bill, get it pass both houses and of Trump vetos it override. And they say the DEMs are to blame, now that's fake news.
5
Per Mr. Ryan standards, I guess that the 38 times that the House passed bills canceling the Affordable Health Care was not “an exercise in futility”. What was it then?
17
Ryan has a new standard of legislating: "the last thing we want to do .... something that will never make it into law". This wasn't how he viewed repealing "Obamacare" on any of the times they voted on that!
I wish the last few things he wanted to do as Speaker were actually for the good of the country above party (e.g. get rid of the Hastert rule -- the name alone should make them ashamed, stand up for Congressional powers, do sane things on budgets, sensible gun laws, stand up for integrity). Instead I wish him well in his retirement and hope many of his friends in the House get retired with him in November, including my Representative.
8
I suppose it is a logical extension for Democrats to reject a bill that is good for the Dreamers but potentially bad for people who are not even here yet. I would think the Dreamers were closer to being their constituents. Both parties are wishing for pie in the sky on immigration.
Mr. Ryan refuses to recognize the valid representatives from almost half the country and will only negotiate with fellow Republicans, giving Democrats the brush off. So for political purposes he agrees to bring two bills to the floor for discussion, one is terrible, and the other is bad. His justification is that it isn't worth wasting time on a bill Mr. Trump won't sign. So now Mr. Trump says he won't sign the bad bill and that leaves the Republicans to only vote on the terrible bill. I think it is time for the men and women in the House to put on their grown up clothes and do what the Constitution and the voters intended for them to do. Pass the best legislation they can considering the input from both parties and then see what the Senate does with it. Congress is not supposed to only do what the President says for them to do. I would add, that when the Democrats considered the ACA, they accepted over a hundred amendments from the Republicans in an effort to get bilateral support. We need Congressional leaders who will seek that broad input and support on legislation, not just political gamesmanship.
4
The headline should read
“DACA and Immigration is a republican created issue that seeks to divide Americans from what makes America truly great”
They could fix it but they won’t compromise and they haven’t the votes to pass the proposal the minority wants.
4
The compromise bill looks good on in summary but if you read the details (check DACA forums for the leaked version) you'll notice a few really toxic parts for both, highly skilled legal immigrants and for the DACA folks.
The bill would remove the per-country cap for highly skilled immigrants, which would result in practically 100% immigration from a single country, of workers employed almost exclusively in IT field and not much else (so good scientists, doctors, etc, would not get a chance to immigrate unless they are in the very top, Nobel Prize level). On the other hand, the IT field is exactly where impoverished US workers should be directed to (free online education is all they need).
The second major issue with the bill is that it sets criteria for DACA admissibility unrealistically high. But that could be edited in later versions, I suppose.
The bill does have a number of good parts, for example green cards for children of LEGAL immigrants who were brought here at a young age (like DACA, but legal). It slashes family-based immigration somewhat, but parents of US citizens can still be sponsored (similar to other Western countries' immigration laws).
I hope parts of this bill will be recombined in future bills to help DACA AND highly-skilled immigrants (from non-IT fields). Also, more funds for the border should include the capacities for housing detained families together (this is a part of border security after all).
3
The term Republican moderate stretches the definition of moderate. As Trump gains more influence over the Republicans, the party heads toward Steve Bannon. Trump did very well demonizing immigrants in 2016.
27
But why should the WH not continue to use DACA the way
it's been using it from that dark Day #1? It's a winning political tactic. You keep on using a winning formula until it's proven to be a liability.
It keeps the nativists content and maintains their pressure
on trumpican senate candidates in red states with a democratic incumbent. It also keeps alive hopes for the Wall Project since funding for it increases as a price to pay for any "DACA compromise". So, its budget allocation is continually on the rise. For democratic senate candidates, support for DACA is of marginal value vis a vis suburban potential "swing" voters for whom DACA is irrelevant. It's principally an issue to keep an activist/progressive base engaged.
1
OK, Did not just yesterday Sarah Sanders say the Democrats are preventing solutions to come to the President's desk? Did She? What arrogance this administration possess.
155
"Give me your tireless. your rich,
Your elite minions yearning to make more;
For them I always lift my lamp
As they come through the bank vault door."
74
Poems are not laws.
We are a democracy not a poemocracy.
I am always amazed at how many citizens think the Statue of Liberty and a poem are more important than laws and votes.
7
Your Norwegians...
1
Ideals are always important without them mankind has nothing to aspire to.
1
"It's the Democrats's fault."
- TY, President Gaslight
21
"I certainly wouldn't sign the more moderate one."
Trump
There is nothing left to say.
11
Trump threatened to shut down the federal government in September if Congress did not provide more funding to build his infamous wall on the border with Mexico. He is determined (and desperate) to fulfill every signature campaign promise he used to invigorate his base from repealing and replacing Obamacare to draining the swamp, to tearing up TTP, the Paris Accord and Iran Nuclear deal, to passing tax reform, and to opening up negotions with Kim Yong-Un. So far, so good.
Now it's on to the fulfillment of immigration reform and building that "big, beautiful wall"even if it means holding Congess hostage for billions of dollars to do so. His loyal supporters will continue to wildly cheer him on at his next rally for his unprecedented successes and he will breathe another sigh of relief for having maintaing his base and dodging the bullet for his possible impeachment hearings.
5
Another failure by the Trump party , formerly referred to as the Republican Party. Trump does not want a bill that would permit non- white immigrants or asylum seekers to come into this country . He needs a straw man to blame for all of this country ‘s ills. Non- white immigrants and asylum seekers are Trump’s straw man of convenience, they are a perfect weapon when he is not attacking the press for reporting news he views as unfavorable to him. Paul Ryan will limp away with his tail firmly tucked between his legs. White supremacy prevails for the moment thanks to Trump/ Sessions.
6
How do we square this with Sara Sanders blaming Democrats for not participating? Trump won't even entertain a Republican measure.
12
Love it! This whole Immigration Thing is a ruse Trump latched onto and blown up way beyond proportion to get narrowly elected. Visa overstays are by far the largest source of illegal immigrants, not southern border crossings. Fear is his great bogeyman motivator and belligerence its proported antidote. Stupidity, arrogance, and belligerence are the three pillars of the ego and Trump is personification leading the Deluded...right over the brink!
Godspeed America in our inevitable process of revealing Imposters and Transcending everything counter to our True Nature as Human Beings. “Truth will out” as anything and everything else (“every jot and tittle”) winds itself up into a self-defeating morass, guaranteed by Universal Law as real as the Law of Gravity. Thus Ryan plays the Perfect Fool perfectly as we witness Trump and Cohorts doomed by their own success.
Trump’s Reality Show is a blockbuster hit. The proper response is twofold: laughter and Compassion.
5
About separating children from their parents,
Trump's Press Secretary Sanders states that
“It is very biblical to enforce the laws.”
4
Tell that to Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, et alia. It will be a great comfort to them. A balm for their souls.
6
For those who believe in WWJD I believe he would say to obey the law, go home and come in the legal way. Breaking of laws was not permissible by what he preached or what the Bible said.
1
The House forgot to put in the part about where they don't want to spend the next two years kissing Trump's behind. Oops, sorry, maybe they did. Nahhh, no way, they're so cowardly they won't even call him out on his more egregious lies like his current lie about hating the child separation situation which is being done under his orders, and so many more it would take a book to list them all. It's going to really be a lot of fun voting these groveling House cowards out of office come November.
7
There are no billionaire Russians, Saudis or AIPAC members trying to cross the border. So, none of Trump's real constituency cares.
9
Whatever happened to overriding a veto? Not only will these people have difficulty facing the God they claim to love they'll be unable to look their own children in the eye & explain their willingness to let other peoples' children suffer.
I have gotten used to being appalled on a daily basis...
71
Whatever happened to overriding a veto? Nothing. It's still in Article 1, section 7 of our Constitution. Our well-paid representatives and senators need to either reclaim their moral authority as a co-equal branch of government or just disband and wait for the coronation of King Donald the First.
8
It takes a simple majority to pass a bill.
It takes 2/3 to override a veto.
It needs smaller words and bigger letters before our non president will read it.
10
So pass it anyway and go for an override. There is a separation of powers here, which republicans have forgotten. Cruelty and cowardice. How these people sleep at night amazes me.
104
They seemed more aware when OBama was President, it seems
The Republicans have a monopoly hold on government and still can't get along with each other to get something done. They call their monopoly power a "Compromise". That speaks volumes to their ability to get along with others.
3
Ryan and McConnell are misusing their power, and they have too much. Why should they control what bills come to the floor? And as I remember it, congress can over-ride a presidential veto. so fear of a veto makes no sense.
10
Its not fear of a veto its fear of their own party losing control internally and then losing elections. Recently republicans have been very good at speaking a single message where democrats have a larger more diverse and less policy cohesive membership. They don't want bipartisanship because they believe they don't need it and have used their unwillingness to compromise to gain advantage or obstruct. The Republican party no longer cares for economics, facts or science that doesn't support their view. Since truth is becoming the enemy they are willing to actively work to suppress truth to gain advantage.
109
The Party with the majority in the Senate and House elect majority leaders ( McConnell and Ryan) and it is only the majority leaders who are allowed to bring bills/legislation to the floor for debate and a vote. Typically the leaders never bring forth legislation that they think will be defeated and/or legislation that they think works against the general good of the party.
4
but according to Saunders, yesterday, the REAL problem is Democrats. It seems the Republicans can't even negotiate immigration with themselves!
12
Well there are two wings of the Republican party when it comes to immigration. One wing supports anything big business wants. The other wing supports the tens of millions of Republican citizens (and many Democratic and liberal citizens) who do not want to import tens of millions of people every year.
We can pretend that immigration policy isn't difficult but pretending doesn't change facts.
3
Yes, but do we have to be so heartless ...
Once again Trump shows that he hates DACA and is a liar. What did he say months ago about DACA people. Well that was a lie. He will not deal with this. Here you have a cohort of people who should be citizens, they live in America, they only know America, they are educated, employed and live crime free. The best case for a migrant but a road block to DACA. What a group of people to cast out a group of people who know America as their home. How incredibly sad that they will be cast away.
7
How is this a "compromise bill" if "Democrats are all but certain to vote against it"???
1
It figures. But the House should go ahead and pass the compromise bill and see if Trump has the guts to refuse to sign it. He has signed bills, he said he wouldn't sign in the past. He already has the publicity he wanted from refusing to sign. Maybe he will go ahead and sign anyhow.
4
Trump may have misspoken since there is one moderate bill which is bipartisan and a second moderate plan favored by Paul Ryan. He may have been confused by the question.
2
I, I, I, I, I. The Con Don thinks it's HIS country. He is delusional and it's time we send him to a mental institution where he belongs.
This is OUR country. He does not get to help the other Robber Barons destroy it.
Not now. Not ever.
73
OK you don't like Trump. I get that but the Constitution of the United States written in 1789 and amended since on a number of occasions describes the President as the Commander-in -Chief and is given certain powers in Article 1 whether you like it or not. One of them is the power to veto legislation he does not like. Your remedy is to vote for someone else and hope your preferred candidate gets the requisite number of electoral votes.
6
And Congress has the power to override his veto with a two-thirds vote
1
When will the Speaker actually do his job and act as a check on the executive? The House was on the right track with its discharge move but gave it up when it became clear that the two votes needed would probably come in. Send the Senate a clean DACA bill for a vote. The American people want it because its the right thing to do. Let the president veto it. At some point the House and Senate have to stand up to the bully in chief and start to work for the American people.
109
Time for moderate conservatives to join with democrats for a super majority that can over-ride a veto.
69
Wouldn't that be the day. Unfortunately it would spell doom for the moderate republicans in the election. Conservatives would abandon them and democratic voters wouldn't cross over and vote for them if there is a viable dem on the ballot. I have been hoping that these moderates would finally hit their limit and like the retires decide that political suicide was better then the slow death of our country. But alas.. I don't think we've gotten there yet.
1
So-called "moderate Republicans" are fools. They could flip the House by simply becoming independents and then sitting with the Democrats. But these "moderate Republicans" are ALL cowards.
92
In fact their reward would be the fury of Republican voters and the disdain of Progressives for being too moderate. The ideologues on both ends of the spectrum are the real problem in American politics.
3
The great irony in all of this - neither Trump nor his first and third wives would be in this country if someone with his beliefs had been in office when his grandfather and the wives immigrated, at least one of them under “ special” circumstances. Maybe we need to provide today’s hopefuls with modeling contracts so that they can gain entry. Apparently we value that “ talent” more than a hard working citizen, an entrepreneur, or a future Nobel scientist.
109
The great irony is that people keep applying 17th and 18th century immigration policies to the 21st century.
There are 7,500,000,000 people today. In 2050 there will be 11,000,000,000 people.
Every twelve years there are another 1,000,000,000 people.
We live in a different world than our ancestors did. We no longer need to import millions of people. The world is dying from the numbers of people we already have.
I don't want to live in a hot, crowded, country full of people in misery and despair. We need less people not more.
4
I’d check the studies that indicate over half of immigrant-led households are collecting some sort of welfare benefit and the political attitude surveys from Pew that indicate a disastrous level of interest in large authoritarian governments.
1
It's official. The American government is nonfunctional; 3 branches in the same hands, and these people couldn't pass the Free Flags for Widows and Orphans bill of 'The Simpsons' fame. This is the end of empire. Sad!
72
Just as the House should ignore Ryan as being irrelevant and the Senate should ignore McConnell as even more irrelevant, all of America should ignore our Liar In Chief. If he wants to veto something, sadly he has the right but as Free People [ha..well a bit free so long as we are white, rich, and Evangelical UnChristians] we need to do The Right Thing regardless of politics. That includes, of course, draining the ultra-right GOP from the Washington sewers come November.
15
Paul Ryan really should have given up his leadership position when he decided to exit the House. He just looks more foolish as every day passes. Had he resigned at least by November or earlier he would have been forgotten.
He's now what you'd call " the fools fool".
35
Hey, Paul Ryan. This is what you call "all in" by Trump?
5
Republicans will not allow a bill to prevent them from hurting people not like themselves.
Sessions was quoting the Bible for God's sake.....
There is a special place in Heck for these people, there will never be enough praying to save you....
30
Sessions is just a bad joke ...
1
He won't even read it and doesn't really care as long as he can spin it as 'his win!'. Hand him the bill and either tell him it is 'tough on illegals' or 'humane but tough' or that it can be spun into 'because of Trump, we finally have some legislation on immigration'. Let him reject the first one, spout, and then hand him the same bill for him to sign. It's all a show to him.
29
For Trump, the word "compromise" is a dirty word. He doesn't believe in compromising. He told us where he stood on immigration during his campaign. Anyone who chose not to believe him and is now somehow surprised that he's being difficult about this issue is an idiot.
DACA, while imperfect was a good compromise. Children shouldn't be punished for decisions that their parents made. As long as they are law abiding, they and they alone deserve amnesty and a path to legal citizenship. Deporting someone back to a country that they haven't lived in for much of their lives is inhumane.
Our lawmakers have long kicked the can down the road when it comes to immigration reform. They don't want to do the hard work and compromise that will address this ongoing challenge. They're going to blame this latest failure on Trump just like they blamed Obama during his administration. As always it will be up to the next president to attempt to address our love/hate relationship with immigration.
4
The Democrats will never- ever- accept citizenship for DACA 'kids' alone.
I agree that allowing the 690,000 people under DACA to stay is a good compromise but the Democrats will never accept that.
They will only accept a massive, all-encompassing, amnesty for 20 to 30 million illegal economic migrants. Nothing else will be enough for them.
12
So Lindsay Graham has stated publicly that all the President has to do is make one phone call to stop this heinous act of separating immigrant children from their parents.
Ooops, Graham has violated the Trump Cult loyalty code...no more golf outings with the King.
61
This is deeply discouraging. Compromise in our government is obviously dead. Yesterday, reading of the moderate immigration bill, I had warm stirrings in my soul that maybe we still have the ability of opposing interests to sit down and hammer out a law that represents a compromise consensus between opposing interests. I'd have liked to see Democrats participating in the process, but it seemed like a start.
Nope, Trump has no interest in compromise so the bill will get dropped like a hot potato by Congressional leadership. During the Obama administration these same Congressional leaders passed bills, such as repealing the ACA, multiple times knowing full well that Obama would veto them. But not for Trump. McConnell and Ryan are Trump puppets that would not even dare to confront the President with a bill that he might veto.
In years past, Congressional leadership has put together bipartisan compromise bills that had enough support to overcome a presidential veto. But our present Republican slime? They would much rather go for years without a meaningful immigration bill than confront Donald Trump and one of his temper tantrums.
9
Let's get real. Trump is at heart (if you want to call it that) a dictator like Kim Jong-un, Duarte, Bassar al-Assad, Putin. He takes joy in hurting the suffering. Let's not have any illusions about this any more. With the firing of Rex Tillerson and others, the real Trump has been unleashed and the genie is not going back in the bottle. This explains why he prefers the company of Kim to his European and Canadian allies. Kim is a kindred spirit. If we are unable to put the brakes on this in the midterms, it's going to get a whole lot worse in the second two years, and God help us if there's a 2nd term.
22
I fervently hope that Congress can be bipartisan enough to be able to override any threat of veto. What a message that would send, to voters and to this thoroughly corrupt administration.
2
Donald Trump's recent "success" in trying to kick G6 members in the teeth (didn't work) and kowtowing (literally) to North Korea's leader and military brass seem to have enervated him to new levels of hubris. Sure, he has the veto, but are Republican members of the House and Senate going to wake up before he goes full crazy?
10
Over the years there have been several solid bi-partisan immigration proposals that failed due to last minute GOP obstruction. Now, Ryan comes up with two half-witted pieces of legislation that leave families & asylum seekers in the lurch and would waste billions on Trump’s stupid wall (while children languish in understaffed detention centers) and expects Democrats’ full-throated support. This is why we need wisdom and experience in a Speaker of the House, not a gym rat who still believes in Aryn Rand.
14
Trump won because of immigration.
The Republicans will retain their majority if the Democrats do not moderate their position on immigration.
Will the Democratic Party go all-in over immigration? Will they risk every other policy on that issue?
I think they will. I think it is foolish. Citizens must come first in a democracy. The Democrats cannot legalize enough economic migrants (illegally here) to win the next election. They do not have enough time or enough votes to do so.
They will have to win the old fashioned way- supporting popular policies that actual voters (including white moderate voters) support.
19
Citizens of this country have been abused, and lied to, by both political parties and by illegal immigrants and their advocates.
Republicans want cheap labor for big business and they want to make the middle and working classes of this country suffer. Democrats want new voters as they have given up on supporting popular policies that would win them a majority.
Illegal immigrants and their advocates are trying to guilt-trip this nation into rewarding law-breaking.
Our failed policies have allowed millions of people to break our laws- for decades. Illegal immigrants, and their advocates, try to blame us- citizens- for their actions. Citizens are not responsible for the fact that law-breakers had children here. Citizens are not responsible for employers breaking the law and hiring illegal immigrants.
Those here illegally need to leave. Their non-citizen children need to leave. There should be no amnesty. No path to citizenship. No sad stories about broken families- families freely made by law-breakers in order to emotionally black-mail the citizens of this country into rewarding bad behavior.
I am done with policies that hurt the working and middle classes of this country. I am done with artificially low prices paid for with the misery of illegal labor. I am done with the sad, self created, stories. I am done with the idea that America exists for everyone but American citizens.
Deport. End birthright citizenship. Send them home.
20
Thank you for your comment. I guess I didn’t realize there were so many Americans standing in line to pick lettuce, flip burgers, clean houses, and mow lawns that millions were out of work. You are the same people who brought your children up to strive for a better life outside the mill and off the assembly line and now you rail because those jobs are gone. Who was going to take those jobs? Immigrants? Oh wait, not them. Unless you are now prepared to extol the virtues of long days, tough conditions, and dead end jobs as a sought after life for your grandchildren. THAT’s a great America?...
3
@sw,
Shame on American workers for not taking slave wages, that cannot provide for a decent life, for back-breaking labor.
Shame on them. Now let's import poor people and take advantage of them so we can have cheap food.
Do you even read what you write?
If we ended illegal labor maybe we would automate those tough jobs- or maybe we would raise wages for them.
2
I truly hope that not one immigrant, or anyone who truly cares about the welfare of immigrants, voted for this expensive suit posing as a human being. I would imagine that their regret to be unmanageable. We need an intelligent, compassionate, yet moderate Democrat to run in 2020. This has to be confined to a 4-year nightmare in the annals of American history.
9
Would the writers or editors PLEASE give us the official names of the bills in question EVERY time you report. We are in the thick of a human rights crisis and we cannot afford to waste time digging for that information.
142
Even a link to the source documents!
2
Well said.
1
Children are being used as human shields by their parents. Trump gets blamed when families are separated when laws are enforced. However, these laws are from the Obama administration. The easiest solution is always to blame a person. The blame is more complex.
13
No, cruelty is from the dictates of mad men trump and sessions. Ripping hysterical children from their mothers is not a partisan issue, a MORAL one. Shame on you.
7
Name the law.
4
Considering that the federal government lied to us 32 years ago when they passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 it's completely unacceptable to consider any legislation that doesn't address all the issues that caused this mess in the first place and permanently end illegal immigration. That is what was originally promised. Instead we went from 5 million illegal aliens then to 11-20 million today. The law was conveniently and purposely not enforced. We can't keep repeating this process every couple decades because of liberals tugging at the heartstrings over the next group they believe is deserving of sympathy so they can legalize them and gain more votes on election day.
It's time to eliminate birthright citizenship for the children of illegal aliens, stop counting them for the census that determines representation in congress and federal dollars received, mandate employers use E-Verify, severely punish employers who hire them, severely punish sanctuary states/cities and their elected officials, create an entry/exit system, eliminate all taxpayer benefits, end catch and release, require asylum seekers to apply from their home countries instead of showing up on our doorstep, and give the necessary resources to those enforcing our laws to name a few. Absent any of these, the legislation isn't worthy of passage. It's time to end the insanity and everything that rewards and encourages further illegal immigration. Enough is enough.
16
I really think he likes to use his power to make people of color suffer. I hate to say that, but he has had many opportunities to settle the immigration problem with bipartisan deals. There is no other explanation except he likes inflicting pain and suffering.
84
What's the point of being rich unless you can hear the screams of the poor?
4
“The last thing we want to do,” Mr. Ryan said, “is have some kind of an exercise in futility where we have, like, a discharge petition that brings something that will never make it into law.”
Like vote in the House over 60 times to repeal Obamacare?
311
Open the debate up to the entire House of Representatives.
Enough of this fealty to the Hastert rule and fruits of gerrymandering.
9
What a charade. Another chance for Republicans (and Ryan in particular) to define masochism for the rest of us: Almost beg Trump to humiliate them so they can flatter him afterward. Please, sir...can I have another? First, they give up on integrity and honor. Then, they give up on dignity. Finally, they are not even qualified to be robots.
12
This comment is an insult to robots everywhere.
9
Exactly like negotiations with a two year old, in the middle of a tantrum.
GOP : YOU built that. Seriously.
32
When we have a Democratic President, the Republican Congress obstructs every single thing he does. Now we again have a Republican Congress, and a Republican President who reflexively obstructs everything they do. The GOP is the party of No. Meanwhile, our infrastructure and institutions slowly sink into the now nation-wide swamp.
152
They seem to be at war with both America and themselves. It is hard to win a war when the enemy has you on two fronts. The party that divided the country and itself is going to fall one day. It will not be pretty.
I have never understood the two party state that is America. It is either yes or no without compromise.
I think the experiment is about to end.
1
The majority of the GOP is happy to watch the sinking of our institutions. Remember "Government isn't the solution. Government is the problem?" The snowball has been rolling downhill, getting bigger with each day, for almost 40 years and it is now ready to crush us all.
1
This is one of very few cases where I tend to support Trump administration. Democrats must come out from the mentality of appeasing illegal immigrants and jump to defend whenever and wherever they hear the term minority. Most of the problem with fixing our immigration policy arise from that.
Many, if not most, recent immigrants, mainly the illegal ones, exploit Democratic party for their own selfish interest than thinking about USA as a county. It must stop.
17
"Many, if not most, recent immigrants, mainly the illegal ones, exploit Democratic party for their own selfish interest than thinking about USA as a county." How do you know?
1
Donald Trump just wants to keep the issue alive for the midterms.
The "moderate" bill contains money for his vaunted wall, but even so, he won't sign because he gets more from demonizing immigrants and blaming all immigration issues on Democrats.
It's astounding he gets away with this, but he really doesn't care. The only aspect of immigration he cares about is how he can inflame his base with accusations that most of them are M-13 gang members or pouring over the border to kill Americans.
His hypocrisy on immigration, his signature inflammatory 'issue", is despicable.
173
That and keeping his personal suppky of cheap immigrant labor.
5
I can't help but contrast this with Congressional action on the Reagan amnesty bill, which, while it differed in specifics, also combined amnesty with measures that were intended to crack down on illegal immigration.
Beyond the fact that conservative hero Ronald Reagan was decent enough to support an amnesty, what strikes me is that Congress and the President can't sit down and make a simple compromise.
Republicans, Democrats, Trump -- we've turned into a nation of squabbling children, of spoiled brats so sure that ours is the only right way that we can no longer get anything done.
Passion is good, but so is having enough respect for the opinions of your countrymen that you are willing to meet them halfway.
16
You are absolutely wrong to drag the Democrats into this. They are the minority with next to no power. Ryan & the Republicans exclude them from even the discussions on legislation and seek to only pass bills that have Republican support. They & Trump own this debacle 100%.
6
Kenrackow, this particular row, yes, but the Dems failed to reach an agreement with Trump and even briefly closed down the government over DACA. They have been no better than Trump or the Republicans in this, unwilling to reach the obvious compromise -- citizenship for the DACA kids and a serious and effective crackdown on illegal immigration.
So much for Sarah Sanders argument that “ it’s all the Democrats fault “. Please wake us up from this nightmare.
269
Well, to be fair, I doubt the Democrats would accept any compromise with Trump / the Republicans over immigration.
The Democratic Party position appears to be amnesty for all and immediate citizenship.
What compromise would they accept? Citizenship for the 690,000 DACA 'kids'? Not enough.
They want amnesty for 20-30 million illegal economic migrants. They want to remake the electorate to ensure they can win future elections- even if a large majority of (current) citizens do not support them.
So let's try to be fair here- neither side is willing to compromise. Both sides want all or nothing.
9
Durbin and Grahm had a bill #45 said he favored, but then when they met, Tom Cotten, Steve Miller and others had his ear and he rejected it even though it contained much of what he wanted. The Democrats tried to work with him, but that's not possible. He reneges on everything that has an ounce of humanity to it. There are two constants in his life: his total love of himself, and his unabashed racism.
1
I, and I believe most Americans, welcome legal immigrants.
However, the US has immigration laws that allow foreigners to seek entry and citizenship (as do all other nations). Those who do not follow US laws and procedures are in this country illegally (i.e., lawbreakers) and should be detained and deported, though allowed to seek legal entry and citizenship after they return to their home countries.
The US cannot afford to support its own citizens: the poor, the ill, elderly, disabled, veterans, et al. It is therefore utterly impossible for US taxpayers to support the millions of people from other countries who would like to come to the US. That is why there are laws limiting the numbers of immigrants allowed into this country each year.
The cruelty lies not in detaining and deporting illegal aliens, or forcing those who wish to enter the US to wait for processing. What is cruel, unethical and probably illegal is teaching foreigners how to game the system to enter the US by falsely claiming asylum, persecution, abuse, etc.
3
The cruelty of the Trump administration's policies on immigration is beyond shameful. We are a proud nation of immigrants and diversity is our greatest strength.
178
Well said!
Only Native Americans are truly Americans. Everyone else are immigrants or descendants of immigrants. My America enables immigrants and their children a path to freedom and citizenship. We, as a nation of immigrants, can afford to be magnanimous an welcoming, to act conscientiously and follow humanitarian principles in enacting judicious and fare immigration laws. God Bless America!
14
Lisa, yes we are a nation of immigrants.
But not by walking across the border.
Don't you think it should be orderly?
Don't you think we should know who these people are?
Is it if they are your next door neighbors?
Can they live in your house with you?
8
Why is diversity a strength? I keep reading this unproven assumption.
Diversity is not a strength in most things. Do we want diversity in moral judgments? Some say beating your spouse is wrong and some think its ok? Diversity! Yah!
We are a proud nation of immigrants. So is every nation on the planet. I am sure Chinese immigrants in Tibet are proud. But are Tibetans proud of them?
We are, sadly, a democracy. We are not obligated to do what makes you proud or what makes you feel warm and happy.
6
Ryan and Trump will succeed in failing on immigration reform and will live to regret it. As insanely egomaniacal as Trump has always been, I was expecting our Catholic boychoir House leader to deliver more on this humanitarian issue. Ryan should remain in the gym full time; the only muscle he's capable of developing.
46
Paul Ryan will never get the egg off of his face.
74
Paul Ryan is completely inept at his job. The Republican controlled House is a dysfunctional disaster and nothing positive has come out of that body of nitwits since the Republicans took control.
Can we citizens please take back our legislative process before it's too late to undue all the chaos that the Trump barbarians are reaping on the country and the world?
217
It has been obvious that Ryan is incompetent but the media including the NYT routinely referred to him a as a policy wonk as if he was a genius. Why experienced political jouralists heralded him as a policy wonk I don't know. I feel they have done us a great disservice not pointing out Ryan's dull witted policies from the beginning.
9
I agree, but remember the Tea Party folks hounded John Boehner out of a job....and then it looked like they couldn't find a replacement......and then Ryan begrudgingly took it. It's the Tea Party folks backed the right wing talk radio/tv folks that are causing such a mess. I am not sure anyone could effectively lead that rabble.
2
We will never be able to move forward as a nation until the republicans are willing to abandon their extreme partisanship and begin reaching across the aisle to craft and pass veto proof bipartisan legislation.
It's time to end the choke hold the tea party/hard line wing on the right has on our government and move back to a rational and respectful conversation between the two sides.
People rejecting left and right wing propagandistic sources wouldn't hurt either.
207
We continue to condemn Trump's daily lies and outrageous, often illegal acts but the
ONLY two people who can stop Trump are Speaker Ryan and Majority Leader McConnell.
These two should be the target of our daily outrage!
Ryan and McConnell's repeated "Dereliction of Duty" by allowing Trump and his cesspool Cabinet to consistently lie to the american people, abuse the power of their office and violate conflict of interest rules without penalty is simply beyond belief.
Their cowardly silence and failure to call for any constitutional "checks and balances" on this
out-of-control president makes Ryan and McConnell completely useless and unfit for the job.
443
Absolutely, JM, a chorus of condemnation is needed daily, especially to try to balance out the paranoia and lying from the WH.
4
Indeed. Under their criminal dereliction--even Joseph and Mary would be separated, the baby Jesus wrested from their arms and each are locked up. And poor baby Jesus taken away, to who knows where?!
1
This lack of any action by Congress is yet another mark of McConnell's tactic of not doing anything to stop Trump, as Trump is putting into practice the Republican agenda.
McConnell used this same tactic when he said that not one policy would get through Congress that President Obama wants to implement.
McConnell, Congress and the Republican party
are the real conspirators of this mass child abuse
of people seeking safety, care and help.
1
A show of hands: who believes Trump actually read even a summary of, or got briefed fully on, the "more moderate" bill before he said he certainly wouldn't sign it?
I'm not joking. We have a president in the control of the alt-right on immigration and on trade, and he cannot afford a misstep with them before November. Who thinks he knew anything at all about that bill beyond the word "moderate" before he said he would not sign it?
142
Confusion is his modus operandi, not only on immigration but on every important issue, including trade and his relation to other western powers. Through confusion he continues to gas-light the dumb and weak, and tire the rest of us who just feel hopeless. Hopeless because we have a corroded and broken legislative branch that cannot check this disaster.
201
That is exactly what he is trying to do. But there is a cure. Vote in November, and vote out all the Republicans and vote in all the Democrats on your ballot.
LG -- "corrupted" might have been a better description of congress than corroded. Just sayin' ;-)
1
Time to replace the Republicans in Congress (bith the House and the Senate) with Democrats who will perform the constitutional duty of oversight fo the Executive Branch.
Vote straight Demicratic on November 6, 2018 as if our demovracy deends on it.
BECAUSE IT DOES.
4