WASHINGTON DC (January 24, 2019) — US Sen Chuck Grassley of Iowa today made the following statement after Democrats blocked a compromise proposal to immediately reopen the federal government and address the border security and humanitarian crisis.
“Today we had an opportunity to advance President Trump’s compromise bill that would immediately reopen the government and fund the top ten border security priorities laid out by career experts at Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security. The bill would have also provided important humanitarian support at the border and improved certainty for dreamers and other immigrants. Unfortunately, Democrats refused to join that effort. Instead they opted for a my-way-or-the-highway approach that could never become law.
“Now is not the time for show votes. Reopening the government is going to take a serious negotiation, which means nobody is going to get everything they want. President Trump’s proposal wasn’t perfect, but it was a good-faith effort to reach an agreement that both sides could support. Indeed, it included provisions that both sides supported in the past. Now that President Trump has put an offer on the table, it’s time that Democrats put politics aside and negotiate to reopen the government.”
