Senator Lindsey Graham revealed one offer the GOP made to Democrats that would end the shutdown and predicted exactly how things would play out during his appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” Wednesday night.
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“Compromise is giving the president the $5 billion we need for wall/border security as a down payment to securing the border. The DACA population — about 700,000 — give them work permits — three-year work permits — so they don’t have to worry about getting deported any time soon,” Graham said when asked about a potential compromise.
Congressional leaders met at the White House on Wednesday for the first time in the new year to discuss the shutdown. According to a White House official, the Democrats did not even bother listening to the deals the GOP had come up with. (RELATED: Pelosi: Dems Won’t Agree To Money For Wall, But Shutdown Isn’t Dems’ Fault)
He added, “The TPS people came here from war-torn areas hurricanes and floods, we know their legal status no pathway to citizenship and call it a day. It’s called compromise. The president said let’s make a deal. The Democratic response is basically ‘go to hell.'” (Related: Trump Refuses To Budge in Shutdown Demand: ‘As Long As It Takes’)
Hannity responded, “This is a battle, to me, worth having, and I know it’s inconvenient. By the way, I support all those furloughed employees. I don’t want them caught in the political crossfire. They deserve their back pay.”
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 27: U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to be an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, on Capitol Hill September 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo By Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images)
Graham continued:
Let me tell you how our government works. Any bill passed from the House has to come to the Senate and has to get 60 votes and for it to be signed into law the president has to sign it. He is not going to sign a bill that doesn’t have money for the wall. I will tell you exactly how this is going to end. [The] president is going to challenge the Democrats to compromise. If they continue to say no, they will pay a price with the American people. Most Americans want to do two things. They want to secure our border and they want to be reasonable to the people like the DACA population.