Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Trump Tweets House GOP: Don't Waste Time on Immigration
Bill McEwen updated website photo 2024
By Bill McEwen, News Director
Published 6 years ago on
June 22, 2018

Share

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday told his fellow Republicans in Congress to “stop wasting their time” on immigration legislation until after the November elections. GOP leaders said they’d press on anyway, but his comments further damaged their attempt to win over wavering lawmakers for a measure already facing likely defeat.
A little more than four months before the congressional elections, Trump also took a new shot at Democratic lawmakers, accusing them of spreading “phony stories of sadness and grief” about young immigrants separated from parents by his “zero tolerance” policy on illegal border crossings.
Trump’s tweet on immigration legislation was the latest example of his abrupt reversals on issues, to the dismay of Republicans who crave his backing as a seal of approval for conservative voters. Just Tuesday, he met privately with GOP lawmakers and told them he supported the immigration legislation and would have their backs in November.


Trump’s history of turnabouts has made it harder for congressional leaders to win over other lawmakers for the immigration bill. The measure would grant young “Dreamer” immigrants who arrived in the U.S. illegally as children a chance for citizenship — a move many Republicans worry would enrage conservative voters who’d view it as amnesty.
“You just fear that tweet in the morning,” said Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., a supporter of efforts to help Dreamers. She said members think, “The day’s not over. Heck, it’s not even noon yet. How many times could he change his mind?”

McCarthy Says GOP House Will Press On

Despite Trump’s stance, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said the chamber would press ahead on legislation next week. Differences between conservative and moderate Republicans delayed a vote initially planned for Thursday.
The bill would also require the government to separate fewer migrant children from parents when they are detained and finance Trump’s proposed wall with Mexico.
“I think it’s important that the House be able to show we can take the action,” said McCarthy, R-Calif.
“We’re not giving up,” said No. 3 House GOP leader Steve Scalise, R-La.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., said he “absolutely” would continue the immigration push.
“I don’t think it will affect the mood of members who got very close yesterday and want to continue,” he said.
In a private meeting late Thursday, party leaders said they would add provisions to the bill in hopes of rounding up the support they need.

International Outcry Over Family Separation

Trump’s comments come amid an international outcry over the separation of migrant families at the southern border. Trump asserted Thursday that Congress could provide the “only real solution” to the crisis.
The last-ditch effort on immigration ahead of the midterm elections was meant to help vulnerable Republicans this fall.
A measure backed by conservative lawmakers failed Thursday. Hours later Republican leaders postponed final voting on what was billed as a compromise immigration package until next week as negotiators made a last-ditch push for support.
Lawmakers said two new provisions would be added to the bill in hopes of winning votes. One would require employers to use an online system to verify the citizenship of their workers, which could attract conservatives.
The other would make it easier for employers to retain migrant workers, which could bolster support from Republicans from agricultural regions. Legislation on those issues had been promised for July, but skeptical lawmakers wanted it sooner.

Senate Will Have To Pass Bill, Too

Calling Democrats “obstructionists” and accusing them of not caring about border security, Trump tweeted Friday that voters need to elect more Republicans.
“Even if we get 100% Republican votes in the Senate, we need 10 Democrat votes to get a much needed Immigration Bill,” he said.
Despite the president’s prediction of a “Red wave” this fall, Republicans are facing an uphill battle this November as they seek to hold control of the House and Senate. Headwinds from the controversy-embracing president and a wave of retirements in the House have put the GOP majority at risk there.
Democrats face a more challenging map to retaking control in the Senate, with the GOP eyeing pick-ups of seats in states Trump carried in 2016.

DON'T MISS

Soria Stumps Outside Polling Place. Was it Legal?

DON'T MISS

These California Toss-Ups May Decide Which Party Controls Congress

DON'T MISS

What We’ll Know and When We’ll Know It: A Guide to Election Night

DON'T MISS

Democratic Mayors in San Francisco and Oakland Fight to Keep Their Jobs on Election Day

DON'T MISS

These 8 Counties Could Hint at Where the Election Is Headed

DON'T MISS

Israel’s Netanyahu Dismisses Defense Minister in Surprise Announcement

DON'T MISS

Cryptocurrency Markets, Promoted by Trump, Brace for Election Volatility

DON'T MISS

Trump, Vance and Allies Hurl Insults at Women as Race Ends

DON'T MISS

NFL Trade Deadline: Lions Get Za’Darius Smith, Cowboys Add Jonathan Mingo

DON'T MISS

Palestinians in Gaza Fear Neither Candidate in US Election Will Help Them

UP NEXT

North Korea’s Long-Range Missile Test Signals Its Improved, Potential Capability to Attack US

UP NEXT

Visalia Rollerblader Suffered Major Injuries After Being Struck by Vehicle

UP NEXT

Fresno County Man Indicted for Possessing Stolen Guns

UP NEXT

On Elon Musk’s X, Dems Are an Endangered Species While GOP Goes Viral

UP NEXT

New Vehicles, Face Paint and a 1,200-Foot Fall: The US Army Prepares for War With China

UP NEXT

CNN Bars Pro-Trump Guest After His ‘Beeper’ Remark to Mehdi Hasan

UP NEXT

LGBTQ Supporters Drown Out Westboro Baptists’ Anti-Gay Message in Fresno

UP NEXT

The ‘Black Insurrectionist’ Was Actually White. The Deception Did Not Stop There

UP NEXT

Washington Post Says It Will Stop Endorsing Presidential Candidates

UP NEXT

What Happened When a Barber Told Trump About His $15,000 Electric Bill

Bill McEwen,
News Director
Bill McEwen is news director and columnist for GV Wire. He joined GV Wire in August 2017 after 37 years at The Fresno Bee. With The Bee, he served as Opinion Editor, City Hall reporter, Metro columnist, sports columnist and sports editor through the years. His work has been frequently honored by the California Newspapers Publishers Association, including authoring first-place editorials in 2015 and 2016. Bill and his wife, Karen, are proud parents of two adult sons, and they have two grandsons. You can contact Bill at 559-492-4031 or at Send an Email

Democratic Mayors in San Francisco and Oakland Fight to Keep Their Jobs on Election Day

1 hour ago

These 8 Counties Could Hint at Where the Election Is Headed

2 hours ago

Israel’s Netanyahu Dismisses Defense Minister in Surprise Announcement

2 hours ago

Cryptocurrency Markets, Promoted by Trump, Brace for Election Volatility

2 hours ago

Trump, Vance and Allies Hurl Insults at Women as Race Ends

2 hours ago

NFL Trade Deadline: Lions Get Za’Darius Smith, Cowboys Add Jonathan Mingo

3 hours ago

Palestinians in Gaza Fear Neither Candidate in US Election Will Help Them

3 hours ago

Pennsylvania Election Officials Weighing in on Challenges to 4,300 Mail Ballot Applications

3 hours ago

Ukrainian Troops Have Engaged With North Korean Units for the 1st Time in Russia, an Official Says

3 hours ago

Clovis Unified Candidate Vue Says Voicemail Claiming Fraud Is Defamatory

3 hours ago

Soria Stumps Outside Polling Place. Was it Legal?

A video from Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria, D-Merced, shows her advocating for herself and the “first woman president” outside a...

34 mins ago

34 mins ago

Soria Stumps Outside Polling Place. Was it Legal?

42 mins ago

These California Toss-Ups May Decide Which Party Controls Congress

Residents vote early in Dearborn, Mich., Nov. 3, 2024. Like in 2020, the vote count will still feature “blue mirages” or “red mirages,” in which one candidate builds a fleeting lead simply because mail or Election Day ballots are counted first. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
1 hour ago

What We’ll Know and When We’ll Know It: A Guide to Election Night

1 hour ago

Democratic Mayors in San Francisco and Oakland Fight to Keep Their Jobs on Election Day

Residents vote early in Dearborn, Mich., Nov. 3, 2024. While the nation awaits statewide results after the polls close on Election Day, a number of counties could provide hints on where the race is headed. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
2 hours ago

These 8 Counties Could Hint at Where the Election Is Headed

2 hours ago

Israel’s Netanyahu Dismisses Defense Minister in Surprise Announcement

2 hours ago

Cryptocurrency Markets, Promoted by Trump, Brace for Election Volatility

2 hours ago

Trump, Vance and Allies Hurl Insults at Women as Race Ends

Search

Send this to a friend