There has been a lot of
discussion that we need to have a bill done by this date or that date,
even though those dates have nothing to do with relevant program
deadlines. We should not create a false cliff and then plunge over it
in a rush to get something done right this second. A deal on DACA is a
deal worth doing, and it is worth doing right. Moreover, a deal on DACA
should not just be about DACA. Third, we need a deal that is going to help our economy. Our goal
here should be to strengthen our country. We do that by supporting
communities and families and by ensuring that law enforcement has the
tools it needs to keep our country safe, but we also strengthen our
country by helping businesses thrive and create good, high-paying jobs
for our workers. Fourth, we need a legislative solution for DACA. We can't keep
kicking the can down the road and relying on dubious legal authority to
keep individuals in our country. It is not fair to them, and it is not
fair to others who are seeking to enter our country legally. Fifth, we need meaningful improvements to border security and
interior
enforcement, not a figleaf, not window dressing--real reform. There has
been a lot of talk about a wall. To those who are unwilling to
entertain any deal that will have wall funding, I say: Let's not let
something that would amount to less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the
Federal budget scuttle a once-in-a-generation deal. Sixth, we need to close loopholes and reduce fraud and abuse. One
area that has been particularly susceptible to these problems is the
diversity visa lottery. I have long been skeptical of the program. In
fact, I introduced legislation in 2011 to sunset the program unless
changes were made to cut back on fraud and abuse.
Keywords matched
border security DACA visa