Bernie Sanders says 40 Democratic senators will stand firm against voting for a continuing resolution because DACA is not optional.
January 19, 2018

Bernie Sanders was on fire this morning, attacking Republicans for refusing to make a budget deal and prevent a government shutdown.

"We have don't need to be throwing people off of health insurance, which is currently taking place, we need to do what every other major country on earth does: guarantee health to all people," he said.

"I was offended last night. McConnell keeps talking about illegal immigrants. Illegal immigrants -- these are people who came to this country in some cases at one year of age, two years of age, three years of age. This is the only nation they know. There was a poll that came out from CBS yesterday, 87% of the American people said, 87% said give these young people legal status.

"Do not turn our backs on them. Give them a path towards citizenship. Now how come Republicans can't negotiate an agreement with us when 87% of the American people say do something?"

Joe Scarborough said, "We've been talking about all week the need for Democrats to fight to the bitter end here. to not give Donald Trump -- especially after he said the racist comments he said about immigrants from Africa, immigrants from Haiti. Do you agree that the Democratic party needs to fight until the bitter end and not give the president a single vote until he keeps his word on DACA, until he keeps his word on the Dreamers?"

"I think what has happened, and I'm very happy to say this, I worked hard on this issue. I think we now have approximately give or take 40 Democrats who are now saying sorry, we're not going to go month to month running a $4 trillion government," Sanders said.

"You have three, four, five Republicans including Lindsey Graham saying the same thing. The issue right now is, does Mitch McConnell understand he does not have the votes for a short-term CR? He's going to have to sit down and negotiate. If the he does that, by the way, on the issues of parity, equal spending for defense spending and non-defense, the issue of DACA, the issue of disaster relief, which we have got to deal with for Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Florida, Texas, if he is prepared to understand he has to negotiate, we can resolve all of these issues in a very short period of time."

Willie Geist asked him about White House statements that they'd be willing to negotiate with him "on immigration, particularly about DACA, separate and apart from funding. They say people like you are holding up the government to get DACA through. What do you make of that argument?"

"Given the fact you have good legislation that has been written by Lindsey Graham, widespread support among the American people and within Congress, zero reason to believe it will come to surface unless it is attached to must-have piece of legislation. Left alone, they will not do what 87% of American people want. Why make the people live in fear longer than they have to? How hard is this?

"It is -- it really is unspeakable. This is, to my mind, the moral crisis of our time. There are 800,000. I meet with these young people almost every single day. Beautiful kids. Vast majority of them are working. Many of them are in school. Some of them are in the military. Many of them have never left the United States of America. This is their home. Can you imagine what it means to them to say, you will be soon subjected to the possibility of deportation, be thrown back into a country that you know nothing about? It is a horror show for these beautiful young people and must not be allowed to happen."

Scarborough noted it "doesn't take any great moral courage to vote for and support it. It's a 90/10 issue at this point in the country."

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