Democrats aren't "going to blink" in the showdown over including a solution on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in the continuing funding resolution that must be passed by midnight Friday to keep the government running, Sen. Ed Markey said Thursday.
"The time has come," the Massachusetts Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "We're not going to blink. The Democrats want a showdown. We want to resolve these issues."
Americans want the issues resolved as well, he said.
"There's a poll out this morning that says that over 90 percent of Americans want a path to citizenship to be created for these dreamers," Markey said. "All of the country is saying finally to Washington, do your job as [Coach] Bill Belichick will say to the Patriots this coming Sunday. Just get it done. Finish it."
Democrats are ready to tell Republicans to "do your job" and sit down and hammer out the issues on the table, and then go to President Donald Trump and sign the bill, said Markey.
"The problem is of course that Mitch McConnell himself is saying, that he doesn't know exactly where Donald Trump is on these DACA issues, these dreamer issues, and that makes it very difficult because when the leader of a body doesn't know what he wants, then the rest of the party is left there without a capacity to be able to cut a deal with the Democrats," said Markey.
And without the DACA protections, said Markey he will "absolutely" not vote for the bill or any others that does not protect the nation's "dreamers."
"It is time for us to morally discharge our responsibility to these young people," said Makey. "They are innocent, collateral damage to political paralysis which is gripping Washington. We cannot allow them to be held hostage any longer. I will not vote for a continuing resolution that does not protect these young people."