Durbin: DACA future still uncertain

Posted on September 19, 2017

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin says he believes Congress needs to restore DACA to keep ‘dreamers’ from being deported. (Photo courtesy Facebook/Dick Durbin)

By Eric Stock

WASHINGTON – One week after President Donald Trump had reportedly come to an agreement on immigration to protect so-called dreamers, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin said he doesn’t know where it stands.

Durbin told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin he believes the compromise got derailed just as President Trump and key Democrat were about to announce the deal.

PODCAST: Listen to Scott’s interview with Durbin on WJBC.

“The next morning all hell broke loose. The right wing of the Republican Party upset with some of the concessions they think the President made, said they were unhappy with it in no uncertain terms, and then the President and his tweets and other ways; started backing off of it. I don’t know where it is today,” said Durbin.

The President president called for an overhaul of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), giving Congress six months to come up with a solution to what he considers an illegal executive order that President Obama put in place in 2012.

Durbin said he believes Obamacare still needs to be reformed, rather than replaced, but he’s not ready to embrace ‘Berniecare.’ Durbin said Sen. Bernie Sanders’ new plan for a single-payer system isn’t quite the answer.

“I believe healthcare is a right in this country, I don’t believe it’s just for wealthy and lucky people. But I don’t believe that Bernie has really worked this out to a point where I can say, this makes sense,” said Durbin.

Congressional Republicans this week are trying to revive what might be one last attempt to overhaul the Affordable Care Act.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].

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