A White House spokesman on Monday labeled the immigration plan presented by Sens. Lindsey Graham and Dick Durbin “amnesty,” and slammed the two lawmakers as “dishonest” in their presentation of the plan to President Donald Trump.
“Senator Graham and Senator Durbin called the President and told him they had a bipartisan bill. They’d come together with some meeting of the minds to prepare a piece of legislation that would address everything the President outlined. The President was ecstatic,” White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley told CNN. “However, here’s the problem. Senator Graham and Senator Durbin were completely dishonest.”
Gidley said the Graham-Durbin plan did nothing to curb family-based or “chain migration,” gave what he said was “basically amnesty” and did not adequately fund the border wall.
He went on to say the two senators from opposite parties were in “lockstep on immigration for decades,” saying they want open borders and amnesty, and added that Graham claiming he wants anything else is “disingenuous.”
The House and the Senate voted Monday to end the government shutdown, extending funding for three weeks, following a deal being reached between Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell regarding assurances related to immigration.
