Central and eastern Missouri U.S. Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler wants Senate Democrats to pass Republican legislation to fund the government, which would end the current shutdown.
Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler (R-Missouri)
The GOP Representative told Missourinet Monday morning that Democrats are blocking government operations over an immigration issue that won’t hit a deadline until March.
Hartzler praised a proposal offered by Senate Majority Mitch McConnell Sunday night. “I thought it was a good offer on his part, in good faith, to try to come to a resolution, saying ‘Hey, we are going to deal with this issue, we are concerned about it as well, we will vote on it, but let’s reopen government’,” said Hartzler.
McConnell promised that if by February 8th, there is no agreement on immigration, the Senate, assuming that the government would have been reopened, would address it.
Democrats are demanding that 800,000 undocumented immigrants who came to America illegally as children be protected from deportation. Doing so would require renewal of an Obama era policy known as DACA, which President Trump deferred to Congress.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Shumer said he’d have to run McConnell’s plan before his caucus before a vote could be taken. Democrats accepted McConnell’s pledge and voted to keep the government running at around noon Monday. The House is expected to vote on the Senate’s legislation Monday.
Hartzler told Missouirnet she agrees with President Trump that a main priority on immigration should be to build a strong wall on the southern border.
“As I talk to law enforcement officers in my district, they say that much of the meth, much of the cocaine, much of the heroin is coming across the border there near Mexico.”
The 4th District Congresswoman said all the immigration issues can be dealt with, but it’s important to have the government open first.
