During an interview with Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) Tuesday morning, New Day co-host Chris Cuomo editorialized that Democrats should push for a “clean DACA” bill without “adding billions for a wall that isn’t necessary.”
Blumenthal had previously blasted part of the Senate’s latest immigration proposal as “nativist, far right fringe agenda”, specifically referring to the provisions that would eliminate chain migration and the diversity lottery. But according to Cuomo, Blumenthal and his fellow Democrats have not gone far enough to the left on immigration, asking, “Why don’t the Democrats just stand on doing DACA and fixing the situation? And adding nothing.” Blumenthal responded by saying “You took the words out of my mouth, Chris.” He then went on to say that a clean DACA bill might not be politically feasible because of opposition from the House of Representatives.
Following a brief response from Senator Blumenthal, Cuomo reiterated his plea for a clean DACA bill, asking “Why not stand on principle? You have the filibuster in the Senate. And if the President wants to blame you, have that fight. Why isn’t this a bedrock principle for Democrats that they’re willing to stand on and maybe die on?”
Cuomo seems to have forgotten about the importance of bipartisanship and compromise, which he always seems to demand of Republicans. A clean DACA bill, which he repeatedly pushed for this morning, would consist of neither. It would give the Democrats everything they want while doing nothing to address the Republicans’ desire for border security. The Democrats can promise to vote on border security at a later date, but history shows that simply does not happen.
Later in the show, Senator David Perdue (R-GA) explained why a clean DACA bill would not, saying “Let’s solve the DACA problem once and for all, but let’s also eliminate the causes of what brought these children here illegally in the first place. And that is chain migration, an unsecure border and the other facets of this program that he’s laid out.”
As March 5 gets closer, the media will no doubt continue to highlight sob stories regarding the Dreamers; even though they had to admit that a court ruling blocking President Trump’s decision to rescind DACA effectively erases the March 5 deadline.
CNN New Day
02/13/18
07:41 AM
CHRIS CUOMO: Look, I hear you. And there’s no question it has been grossly exaggerated as chain migration. And this idea that it goes on forever is demonstrably false. The backlog of spousal and child documentation cases proves that. But this is about politics. What I don’t understand is, if it’s such an impassioned principle, why are you adding anything to it? Why don’t the Democrats just stand on doing DACA and fixing the situation? And adding nothing. Not adding billions for a wall that isn’t necessary. You can put all that money for security into the budget bill and in fact, you are. The President’s proposal right now has border security spending in it. Why add anything to it if it matters as much as you say?
RICHARD BLUMENTHAL: You took the words right out of my mouth, Chris. That would be, indeed, my solution. Let’s limit the deal to the dreamers and DACA. If politically it is workable in the Senate and we can muster sufficient majority here to provide enough moment going into the House of Representatives, where, of course, as you know Speaker Ryan has made no commitment even to allowing the bill for a vote...
CUOMO: Right. But if you know it’s not going to go that way, right? And that seems pretty politically obvious. Ryan, as silent as he is about all of the things the President says that deserve his voice, he has spoken about this. He’s not going to do immigration the same way that McConnell said he would for you guys. Okay. But then why not stand on principle? You have the filibuster in the Senate. And if the President wants to blame you, have that fight. Why isn’t this a bedrock principle for Democrats that they’re willing to stand on and maybe die on?
