01.22.19

Durbin On White House Legislation To End Trump Shutdown: Even Worse Than Advertised

SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today issued the following statement after Senate Republicans published text of the White House’s proposed legislation to end President Trump’s government shutdown in exchange for $5.7 billion for President Trump’s border wall, temporary protection for some DACA and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients, and significant new restrictions in asylum law:

“The President’s proposal last Saturday was reduced to writing and shared with us last night.  Any hope we had that the President was moving quickly towards meaningful compromise disappeared with the harsh terms of this written proposal.

“I have visited this week with air traffic controllers, federal prison guards, and other federal employees who are the victims of the President’s shutdown.  There is no reason why these essential federal employees should continue to suffer while politicians in Washington bargain a compromise on border security.

“Mr. President, end your shutdown immediately and join all of the interested parties in non-stop negotiations on border security until we reach an agreement.”

President Trump’s proposed legislation excludes hundreds of thousands of DACA-eligible individuals and all TPS recipients from the African countries the President disparaged, includes new restrictions that would bar many current DACA recipients, makes it much more difficult to receive TPS in the future, guts protections for Central American children seeking safe haven in our country, and makes it much harder for anyone fleeing persecution to claim asylum.

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