Congress must come to a decision on the debt ceiling and the national budget by the end of the year, but according to one lawmaker, the priority has to be the “Dreamers.”
“A clean version of the Dream Act,” Rep. Adriano Espaillat, a Democrat representing NY’s thirteenth district, said on Monday. One that’s “not attached to hiring an additional 15,000 ICE agents to deport the parents of the Dreamers.”
The issue hits close to home for Espaillat. About 800,000 “Dreamers”, undocumented immigrants that travelled to the U.S. when they were children, live in his district, he said.
But their future in the U.S. is now at risk, since President Trump announced plans earlier this year to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The legislation put in place by the Obama administration was meant to give these immigrants amnesty. The rollback has met with criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike.
Espaillat’s issues with Trump go deeper than just immigration though. The Dominican-born congressman is one of six Democrats currently calling Donald Trump to be impeached.
Lead by Rep. Steve Cohen, signees Al Green (D-TX), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Marcia Fudge (D-OH), John Yarmuth (D-KY), and Espaillat, presented the five articles of impeachment last week. They argue that Trump has obstructed justice, violated the Constitution’s foreign and domestic emoluments clauses and the freedom of the press, and undermined the federal judiciary.
“We have taken this action because of great concern for our country, our Constitution, our national security, and our democracy,” Cohen said at a press conference.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has discouraged action as severe as impeachment, but Espaillat argues that every person in office has the responsibility to take action in a case like this.
“We should not abdicate our responsibility as congressional members,” he said.
Private citizens are also taking up the cause. Former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer, a major donor to the Democratic party, is funding a campaign calling for action against Trump and has reportedly spent $20 million on ads.
“It’s up to all of us to stand up to this president,” one ad says.
According to the website, more than 2.5 million people have already signed a petition for impeachment.
Aria Finger, CEO of DoSomething.org, is a Taylor Swift fan, and it has nothing to do with her music. Finger said the pop star's GOTV push is just what is needed to increase voter turnout among young people in November.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
With less than 10 days left until recreational marijuana is legal across Canada, Alyson Martin, co-founder of Cannabis Wire, explains how rollout will go. As for the future of legalization in the U.S., she says it's inevitable. "Young people might be the path to legalization," she said.
Utah is one of four states with a medical marijuana initiative on the ballot next month. But Republican State Senate President Wayne Niederhauser said so-called Prop 2 probably goes to far and a separate, bipartisan bill to legalize medical use with some restrictions, is a more measured approach.
UN Ambassador Nikki Haley has submitted her resignation to President Trump and will leave her post at the end of 2018.
The former South Carolina Governor has long been considered a presidential contender, but in a joint meeting with the president said she would not run in 2020.
Haley was a fierce protector of Trump's foreign policy doctrine at the UN since she was confirmed to the post soon after Trump took office.
The president said he'd name a replacement in two to three weeks.
The actor and comedian spoke to Cheddar about his new projects, which focus on race, mental health, and political issues in a wide-ranging interview.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know.
Greg Miller, author of "The Apprentice," told Cheddar that the main objective of his new book was to build a comprehensive look at President Trump's relationship with Vladimir Putin as well as the findings of the special counsel probe.
With the midterm elections now less than a month away, Cheddar's J.D. Durkin went to Las Vegas to gauge what is fast becoming one of the most consequential races in the country. Democratic Rep. Jacky Rosen is challenging GOP Sen. Dean Heller for his seat and, according to new polling, has taken a slim lead. For a deeply purple state that went for Hillary Clinton in 2016 but still maintains significant support for Pres. Trump, the race is becoming a bellwether for the national state of play.
A landmark report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Monday warned that there could be irreversible damage caused by climate change in as little as 12 years. Andrew Freedman, science reporter at Axios, said the effects of this could be even hotter heat waves, sea-levels rising that could wipe out coastal cities, food shortages, and more.
