President Trump on Friday told Republican lawmakers to “stop wasting their time” on immigration legislation, even as the House grapples to reach a compromise.
“Republicans should stop wasting their time on Immigration until after we elect more Senators and Congressmen/women in November,” the president wrote on Twitter. “Dems are just playing games, have no intention of doing anything to solves this decades old problem. We can pass great legislation after the Red Wave!”
The tweet comes while Republicans in Congress are scrambling to address immigration issues, reportedly with the president’s support. But Trump has been fuming over the lack of action. The House rejected a hard-line immigration bill Thursday, and Republican leaders delayed the vote on a separate, more moderate bill until next week.
{mosads}
“Elect more Republicans in November and we will pass the finest, fairest and most comprehensive Immigration Bills anywhere in the world,” Trump said Friday.
“Right now we have the dumbest and the worst. Dems are doing nothing but Obstructing. Remember their motto, RESIST! Ours is PRODUCE!”
The president’s tweets also come amid the fallout over the administration’s “zero tolerance” immigration policy, which caused the separation of children from their families at the border.
Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order permitting families to remain together after facing mounting political pressure. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in April had directed the Justice Department to prioritize the criminal prosecution of individuals who try to unlawfully cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
Meanwhile, the House for weeks has been locked in a debate over immigration legislation. While the hard-line bill failed in the lower chamber Thursday, lawmakers are negotiating in hopes of achieving passage for a compromise bill.
The president on Thursday phoned House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) to tell him he supports the compromise legislation, according to The Washington Post.
The president also noted that Republicans need several Democrats on board with any legislation for it to pass the Senate, an outcome he suggested is unlikely.
“Even if we get 100% Republican votes in the Senate, we need 10 Democrat votes to get a much needed Immigration Bill — & the Dems are Obstructionists who won’t give votes for political reasons & because they don’t care about Crime coming from Border!” Trump said. So we need to elect more R’s!”
Moderate members of the Senate gathered on Wednesday to discuss a compromise bill on the issue of family separations after Trump signed his executive order.