OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 1:07 PM PT — Tues. February 13, 2018
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell sounds off on immigration reform just hours after President Trump issued a dire warning to lawmakers.
In a tweet Tuesday, the president said its now or never for DACA, and McConnell echoed that sentiment on the Senate floor.
Negotiations on DACA have begun. Republicans want to make a deal and Democrats say they want to make a deal. Wouldn’t it be great if we could finally, after so many years, solve the DACA puzzle. This will be our last chance, there will never be another opportunity! March 5th.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 13, 2018
McConnell has thrown his weight behind the Republican proposed Secure and Succeed Act, which mirrors the White House framework.
The bill offers amnesty to 1.8 million illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children in exchange for $25 billion in border security funding.
The Kentucky senator urged his colleagues to refrain from partisan tactics that would stall the bill’s passage.
“Their solution provides funding to secure the border, reforms extended family chain migration and recalibrates the visa lottery program,” stated McConnell. “This proposal has my support and during this week of fair debate, I believe it deserves support of every senator who is ready to move beyond making points and actually making a law.”
With the March 5 DACA deadline approaching, the Senate will have to move quickly if they want to pass immigration reform as they will be in recess next week in light of President’s Day.