The following article by Rachael Bade and Connor O’Brien was posted on the Politico website January 17, 2018:
The government shutdown threat is forcing the party to choose between maintaining a hard line on immigration or spending more on the military.
President Donald Trump and Republican leaders are being forced to choose between two prized conservative priorities as they try to head off a government shutdown: bolstering the military or taking a hard line against immigration.
Democrats’ refusal to strike a long-term budget accord without a deal to shield 700,000 young undocumented immigrants from deportation means Republican can’t have both. They can strike a deal to protect Dreamers, which would upset the base but secure the extra defense spending they’ve pined for. Or they can continue to hold the line against the Obama-era immigration program known as DACA, keep struggling to pass patchwork spending bills, and let the Pentagon limp along with no infusion of money. Continue reading “Republicans’ no-win choice: Dreamers or defense”