In his State of the Union address, President Trump masterfully delivered an uplifting “America is Back” message that even nearly half of Democratic voters around the country thought was good, according to polls afterward.
But not Democrats in Congress. Their hearts are so hardened and hate-filled when it comes to Trump that they even sat on their hands when the president reported that unemployment among black Americans has been reduced to its lowest level in our nation’s history.
Indeed, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., looked like she was sucking on a lemon during the entire speech. The “resistance” diet appears to consist of bitter pills, sour grapes and vinegar.
Republicans, on the other hand, are obviously thrilled with the list of conservative promises Trump mentioned that have already been kept, especially the “yuge” tax cut that every Democrat voted against and almost totally wiping the Islamic State off the face of the planet.
There was however, one aspect of the speech that raises serious concerns among conservatives. President Trump outlined his “Four Pillar Plan” to deal with our long-festering illegal immigration problem. They are full funding to build the wall he promised; elimination of the dangerous visa lottery program; an end to chain migration; and establishment of a path to citizenship for the “DACA kids," who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children through no fault of their own.
Many Republicans have concerns with that last part. I believe that an acceptable compromise plan could include some form of legalization for individuals brought into our country illegally when they were children, but not citizenship. The citizenship bone was obviously tossed to congressional Democrats in an effort to get them to the bargaining table and support a comprehensive immigration reform plan that can be passed in a bipartisan manner. But Republicans still control both the House and the Senate. If Republicans unite and stand together, they can pass a reform bill to their own liking.
But just as Senate Republicans to repeal Obamacare last July, it is not the Democrats, but a handful of Senate Republicans — particularly Sens. Lindsey Graham, Jeff Flake and Dean Heller, who has previously called for a “clean” Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals bill, who stand in the way of a complete conservative victory on this issue.
The devil is always in the details. But considering his unquestioned first year of success in the Oval Office, I trust our president will make the best deal possible under the circumstances for the safety, security and continued prosperity of the American people.
Danny Tarkanian is a Nevada businessman and candidate for U.S. Senate.
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