Here's an alternative to Trump's extortion

By Jennifer Rubin
Opinion writer
January 19 at 9:48 PM

President Trump has been taking hostages for two years. He ordered an end to dreamers' protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, ordered an end to the temporary protected status for hundreds of thousands of people, and then forced a shutdown of the government, leaving 800,000 without a paycheck and inflicting financial and emotional pain on them, their families and (often small) businesses. And then he came up with a deal — such a deal! He would give partial relief to the dreamers and TPS people and get $5.7 billion for a wall; then he’d open the government.

Wait, you say. Wasn’t he the one who put DACA and TPS folks at risk, and haven’t the federal courts already given DACA beneficiaries a likely one-year reprieve? Well, yes. A burglar has broken into your home, has taken the silver and is now offering to lease it back to you for three years only — but first, give him a $5.7 billion edifice.

Alas, the press — fresh from a BuzzFeed beating — now presents Trump’s "offer" as serious. It’s not. Here is what would be a serious way to proceed:

- Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) brings the bill to the floor and allows amendments.
- After the amendment process is finished, the Senate votes.
- The House puts together its own bill: permanent DACA and TPS relief, money for border security (not a wall) and a way to prevent future shutdowns (e.g., an automatic continuing resolution in case funding lapses).
- The House passes its bill.
- As the two bills go to a conference, the government is reopened.
- The House and Senate then negotiate a resolution.

More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/01/20/heres-an-alternative-trumps-extortion/