Trump's DACA decision, Congress's to-do list and the Hurricane Harvey aid package
| |  |  | | with Jessica Estepa | | OnPolitics Today: I dreamed a dream |  | | It's the Tuesday after a long weekend, OP friends, and while we had a good break, you have to admit, it feels like it's going to be one of *those weeks.* We're still reeling from Hurricane Harvey, Hurricane Irma is strengthening, Congress is back in town and President Trump just decided to end the major Obama-era immigration program designed to help hundreds of thousands of undocumented people. | | Yeah. One of those weeks. | In times gone by | | President Trump (via Attorney General Jeff Sessions) announced that he would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, better known as DACA. Created by the Obama administration after Congress failed to pass immigration reform, DACA shields 800,000 undocumented people who were brought into the United States as children. | | Why end the program? Because the legislative branch writes laws, not the executive branch, Trump said. | | "I do not favor punishing children, most of whom are now adults, for the actions of their parents," Trump said in a written statement. "...We must also recognize that we are nation of opportunity because we are a nation of laws." | | Not a fan of this action: the person responsible for DACA in the first place. | | "To target these young people is wrong - because they have done nothing wrong," former president Barack Obama said. | | The ball is now in Congress's court. Trump gave it six months to preserve the program through legislation. One Republican lawmaker has already stepped up to try to force a vote on a bill that would grant DREAMers legal status for three years. But... | When hope was high | | Well, Congress has a lot to do, you guys. Before Trump sprung DACA on them, it was already contending with a very length to-do list that includes averting a federal government shutdown (which the president has previously said he was for if he didn't receive funding for The Wall) and keeping the federal government from defaulting on its debt. And the members just got back today, and that's only their September to-do list. | | Our point is, with a rocky issue like immigration, it's going to be a long six months. | And life worth living | | And we mustn't forget that lawmakers need to dole out aid to help the regions devastated by Hurricane Harvey. The first of what is expected to be several installments: a $7.9 billion aid package that would help Texas and Louisiana rebuild. The vote is expected in the House on Wednesday, with the Senate following soon after. | | "I know that securing this emergency funding is very important for the president and I know that preventing a default or (government) shutdown amidst such a historic natural disaster is also very important to him," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said. "And even more so with another major hurricane on the way." | | Right. Because, as we previously stated, Hurricane Irma is coming. It could become the fourth Category 5 hurricane to barrel through the U.S. Florida is already in a state of emergency in anticipation. | Elsewhere in politics | | | | | MOST SHARED USA TODAY STORIES | | | | | | | | | | | | | | FOLLOW US Thank you for subscribing to On Politics. © 2017 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC.
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