Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Tuesday that Democrats will have only themselves to blame if Congress fails to pass a bill that would provide Dreamers with a path to citizenship.
"The president's framework bill is not opening bid for negotiations, it's a best and final offer," he said on Fox News' "Fox & Friends."
"The White House took ideas from a lot of different proposals that have floated around for 5 1/2 months, then it put those into coherent logical package."
"On the one hand I think the president surprised people that he's willing to give not just legal status but ultimately citizenship to 1.8 million young illegal immigrants brought here through no fault of their own before the age of accountability. But to do that we have to be responsible about it."
Cotton added: "It's going to encourage more illegal immigration. We know that, so we have to secure the Southern border. The bill provides the money and the legal authority to do so, and it would create a whole new pool of legal immigrants to legalize their families which includes the parents that created the problem in the first place, that's why we have to end the practice of extended family chain migration.
"That is popular proposal. 2/3 of the American people want it, 2/3 of the American people are right."
The senator said that same day in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt that there's "no question" that Democrats would be at fault if Congress fails to approve a path to citizenship for Dreamers.
"If they refuse to take yes for an answer, then they have no one to blame but themselves."
He added that "it's either the president's framework bill, or it's nothing."
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