If an agreement is not reached on border security by Feb. 15, then President Donald Trump should "go the emergency route" and secure the southern border, Sen. Lindsey Graham said Friday after the president announced a plan for a three-week stop-gap measure ending the 36-day long government shutdown.
"My belief is this needs to come to an end," the South Carolina Republican told Fox News' Peter Doocy. "Every commander in chief has an obligation to defend the country. How can you look at that border and believe it's not porous. A nine-month pregnant woman climbed over the wall. A couple of days ago, a hundred people came over the wall using a ladder."
He also called on Democrats to vote for a secure border, as legislation will bring further protection for DACA recipients.
"I think the president is hellbent on securing the border," said Graham. "He would love to do it through the legislative process."
He stressed that in 2013, Democrats voted for $42 billion to secure the border, including 700 miles of fencing.
"The president is willing to give a better life to the DACA recipients who will lose their legal status, and the president is willing to work with him if he can get something in return, securing the border," said Graham. "As for shutting the government down, that makes no sense to me. What I want to do is shut down the crime coming across the border….this is the best chance I have seen since 2006 to get a deal that's a win-win for all of us. Take advantage of it."
He said he also hopes that with the shutdown coming to a temporary end, Trump will be invited to give his State of the Union address next week.
"It would be good for this country to have the president speak from the House chamber, with [Pelosi] over his shoulder, showing we have differences but we are also able to work together," said Graham.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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