Pelosi: ‘God Is with Us on This’ Democrats on Adding DACA to a Budget Deal
Trying her hand at prophesy, the House minority leader is now saying God is siding Democrats in thier efforts to attach Deferred Action Against Childhood Arrivals (DACA) legislation to a House budget bill, an issue that may lead a government shutdown.
"We're not backing off anything," Pelosi said Thursday of Democrats' demand that a DREAM Act pass before Congress recesses for the year. "We are not going to turn this country into a reign of terror of domestic enforcement, and have the DACA, the DREAMers pay that price."
Pelosi then invoked the Almighty, arguing he's favoring Democrats in the policy squabble.
"But I'm optimistic," she said. "I always have been. God is with us on this. Our country is great. We know that greatness springs from the vitality that newcomers bring to our country."
Here's a transcript:
REPORTER: “To follow up on your answer to a DREAMer question earlier, are you backing off your stance from last month where you said, ‘We will not leave here in December without a DACA fix?’”
PELOSI: “No, I stand by that statement. We will not leave here without a DACA fix. Yes, ma’am?”
REPORTER: “Two questions. Back on DACA — have you changed your mind at all about being willing to accept some border wall funding or immigration crackdown funding within a DREAM Act fix?”
PELOSI: “When you say, ‘have you changed your mind,’ we said to the President the night he agreed to the DACA legislation that we have a responsibility to protect our border and we think there are many things we can do working together to do that and members have been working in a bipartisan way to address that. So, we’re not backing off anything, and including meeting the needs of protecting our border.
"We are not going to turn this country into a reign of terror of domestic enforcement, and have the DACA, the DREAMers pay that price. But I’m optimistic. I always have been. God is with us on this. Our country is great. We know their greatness springs from the vitality that newcomers bring to our country. 80 percent at least of the American people support the DREAMers. Some members at the President’s holiday event the other night — he calls it a holiday event, by the way — it wasn’t a Christmas party, it was a holiday event. Republican members were saying to me, ‘This is 80 percent in my district, people support the DREAMers.’ I had some of their spouses say, ‘We have to get the DREAM Act.’ Again, this is bipartisan support. We can find our common ground.”
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