Politics

Here’s How Much Trump Pivoted On Immigration In 116 Hours

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Robert Donachie Capitol Hill and Health Care Reporter
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President Donald Trump has changed his tune throughout the week on immigration, pivoting from a call for the House to pass a bill, any bill, to asking for the lower chamber to wait until after the November midterm elections to address the issue.

Trump promised House Republicans Tuesday evening that he was with them “1,000 percent” and would sign whatever agreement the conference passed. Some conservative members told reporters they did not necessarily believe the president, arguing that if he wanted a specific bill to pass, he would have advocated for it in front of the entire conference.

The president then questioned the point of passing an immigration bill in the House on Thursday morning, since it would surely meet defeat in the Senate.

“What is the purpose of the House doing good immigration bills when you need 9 votes by Democrats in the Senate, and the Dems are only looking to Obstruct (which they feel is good for them in the Mid-Terms). Republicans must get rid of the stupid Filibuster Rule-it is killing you,” the president tweeted.

To the president’s credit, the Senate is, at least during the Trump administration with a slim GOP majority, the chamber where immigration bills are almost certain to fall short.

The last major immigration bill to successfully make its way through the Senate was the “Gang of 8” bill.

Senators voted on four separate immigration proposals in mid-February and each one of them, including one that mirrors Trump’s proposal, failed. The Senate also voted on a bill from Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware and GOP Sen. John McCain of Arizona that, like Trump’s “four pillars” plan, provided a pathway to citizenship for 1.8 million Dreamers but did not include funding for Trump’s border wall. (RELATED: Democrats Shut Down The Government To Secure Protections For Dreamers)

Another bill from GOP Sen. Susan Collins of Maine contained the 1.8 million pathway, provided Trump’s requested $25 billion for border security and prevented “Dreamers” from sponsoring their parents for legal status — a hat tip to chain migration — but it, too, failed.

Trump followed up his statements Friday morning with a series of tweets in which he said the House should not vote on immigration until after the midterms and voters should elect more Republicans to ensure a favorable bill passes.

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