Trump Threatens Government Shutdown Over Immigration
- By Gary Nguyen --
- 30 Jul 2018 --
Republicans are uncomfortable with Trump’s plans.
President Donald J. Trump of the United States has again threatened to shut the U.S. Government down[/tweetit] if the Democrats do not give his government “the votes.” The government is slated to exhaust its coffers by the end of September. This is the third time Trump has threatened a total government shutdown if he does not get what he wants.
Trump Threatens Government Shutdown Over Immigration[/tweetthis]
Republicans themselves have differences with multiple proposals floated by the Trump administration. The president wants to reform across a wide swathe of government activities such as the diversity visa lottery, border security, and the "catch and release" program. The social media tweet sent by Trump on this subject has made it difficult for Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader and Paul Ryan, the House Speaker. These GOP lawmakers visited Trump during the third week of July to persuade him to exclude immigration masters from the spending fight. The president, although seemingly convinced during that time, has clearly shrugged off any influence in his decisions.
I would be willing to “shut down” government if the Democrats do not give us the votes for Border Security, which includes the Wall! Must get rid of Lottery, Catch & Release etc. and finally go to system of Immigration based on MERIT! We need great people coming into our Country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2018
President Trump for the record has made multiple claims about undocumented immigrants. He said those who illegally jump the border use children for "sinister purposes." He practically ordered Congress to edit the immigration laws. Trump has a message for the electorate as well. He asked U.S. citizens to stamp their votes for Republican candidates. He said a bigger Republican number in the Congress post-midterm elections will make sure that the immigration laws will be fixed.
For the GOP, things are tougher than ever before. The Republicans now face an uphill battle in this midterm election cycle. Democrats have gained traction during the last few months and are poised to retake the House. If things go really bad for the GOP, they may witness the Senate also slipping away and falling into the Democrat’s lap. The Republicans are painfully aware of President Trump's low approval rating. They desperately require a few legislative wins for a psychological boost to plod on the campaign trail. What the Republican lawmakers do not want to do is to defend their unpopular government over Trump's shutdown threats. They are aware that many voters are deeply against Trump's hawkish stance on immigration.
Yes President Trump build the wall. Shut down the govt. Pay the military & Social Security, don't pay congressmen or senators until you get the funding for the wall.
— Steve Ettien (@EttienSteve) July 30, 2018
Under the Obama presidency, illegal border crossers with children got released while they awaited their deportation hearings. This is referred to as "catch and release" by the GOP. The Trump administration claims that such a system has permitted “widespread lawlessness.”
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