A full amendment process will be part of working out a deal on immigration, Sen. Bill Cassidy said Tuesday, adding that he's taking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell at his word that the process will be fair to all sides.
However, he told Fox News' "Happening Now," that President Donald Trump won't take any "half-measures" when it comes to border security.
"There will be an open amendment process, and everybody can throw up the amendments they wish to propose," the Louisiana Republican told Fox News' "Happening Now" program. "A full vetting, full debate and hopefully we come up with a product that increases border security and addresses the other concerns."
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump wants border security, and an end to the chain migration and lottery visa programs, and he is willing to deal with the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, said Cassidy, so he'll be the "one who makes or breaks this."
"I think he has the ability to make it," said Cassidy. "The left is going to say 'oh, my gosh, he is going back on his word.' Give him border security and he is willing to deal, but he won't take a half measure on border security."
Democrats insisted on attaching DACA to the continuing resolution under consideration last Friday, but the only way to get immigration reform is to limit it to the four pillars of DACA, border security, the lottery visa and chain migration, said Cassidy.
"It spills out into something neither the right or left can tolerate," said Cassidy. "If you focus on the four pillars there is a deal to be had."
Lawmakers agreed on Monday to deadline the CR to keep the government running until Feb. 8, but DACA doesn't run out until March 5, Cassidy pointed out.
"Feb. 8 is the time when we would begin debate on a [DACA] bill, but the bill would not have to be completed, if you will, until March 5, and I'm sure it could be extended a little beyond that, said Cassidy, "so yes, that date is out there, but we have a little more room than that would suggest."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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