Chris Coons on Immigration Deal: I’m Not Supporting Simply Handing over $25 Billion

EXCERPT:

COONS: "Part of why I was so honored to have Senator McCain reach out to me is that he has long represented a border state, Arizona. And the bill that we’ve introduced is already a bill in the House that was introduced by Congressman Hurd of Texas from the El Paso area and Congressman Aguillar from southern California. It has 27 Republican co-sponsors in the House, 27 Democratic co-sponsors, 54 co-sponsors. It’s our hope that it can be a promising base bill for further discussion in the Senate. As you referenced in your introduction of the bill, it calls for the Department of Homeland Security to present a detailed plan for how to achieve operational control of the border by 2020. As an appropriator, I would support the appropriations necessary to accomplish that, but I don’t support what President Trump is calling for, for us to simply hand over $25 billion without any ongoing oversight by Congress.”