At least three members of Tennessee’s Congressional delegation came out in support of President Donald Trump’s offer Saturday to end the government shutdown with a compromise on immigration.
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander and U.S. Rep. Dr. Mark Green issued statements of support for Trump’s proposed compromise.
Blackburn said:
The president has once again shown he is willing to work with Democrats to end this shutdown and find a compromise that will secure our border,” said Senator Blackburn. “This proposal that has bipartisan support would provide the much-needed $5.7 billion for a border barrier.
“The border patrol agents have repeatedly asked for three items: a physical barrier, more technology, and more agents and officers. As members of Congress we must deliver for them.”
Green said:
“The president has made yet another effort to engage Democrats on the crisis at the border, something I’ve called an arterial bleed. It’s time to stop the hemorrhage. Will Speaker Pelosi come to the table and negotiate? Do Democrats care about the American lives being devastated by crime and the drug trade? Do they care about our hard working govt. employees? Speaker Pelosi?”
Alexander said in a statement:
“The President has proposed a sensible compromise, including relief for ‘dreamers’, to end this inexcusable government shutdown. It is time for Democrats to respect the president’s reasonable requests for border security including 234 new miles of physical barrier. Presidents Obama, George W. Bush, Clinton and George H.W. Bush, with bi-partisan congressional support, built 654 miles of physical barriers along our 1,954 mile southern border.”
Senator Alexander wrote an op-ed earlier this month for the Washington Post where he offered specific solutions for resolving the current shutdown.
Trump’s offer came on a rainy day when many Tennessee Republicans were in attendance at Gov. Bill Lee’s inauguration at War Memorial Auditorium. Those included U.S. Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN-08), U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03) and U.S. Rep. John Rose (R-TN-06).
Blackburn attended the inauguration but found time to back Trump.
The president said he would support a three-year extension of protections for 700,000 immigrants who came to the country illegally as children and were protected from being deported by Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Fox News said. In return, Trump asked for the $5.7 billion to build the border wall. There would also be extra protection for 300,000 recipients of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program.
Fox News said Trump may present legislation to the Senate next week.
House Speaker U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) said Trump’s offer was a “compilation of several previously rejected initiatives, each of which is unacceptable and in total, do not represent a good-faith effort to restore certainty to people’s lives,” according to Fox News.
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Jason M. Reynolds has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist at outlets of all sizes.
Photo “Marsha Blackburn” by Marsha Blackburn.
Photo “Mark Green” by Mark Green.
The President’s “compromise” is a step in the wrong direction. Rewarding anyone who has entered the USA illegally should not be rewarded with any type or form of legal status.
As far as those here under the so-called TPS program have been here more permanently then temporarily. The USA has become the dumping ground for other countries. It is time for it to stop.
President Trump and Senator Blackburn were elected because of their firm commitment to enforce existing immigration laws – not to kowtow to political pressures.