Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellElection Countdown: Takeaways from heated Florida governor's debate | DNC chief pushes back on 'blue wave' talk | Manchin faces progressive backlash | Trump heads to Houston rally | Obama in Las Vegas | Signs of huge midterm turnout Sanders: Democrats ‘absolutely’ have chance to win back rural America Trump privately ready to blame Ryan and McConnell if Republicans lose midterms: report MORE (R-Ky.) on Tuesday announced his support for a bill to keep immigrant families detained at the border together.
“I support, and all of the senators of the Republican conference support, a plan that keeps families together,” McConnell told reporters.
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Republican lawmakers are scrambling to avert a public relations disaster as backlash grows in response to the Trump administration's "zero tolerance" policy on illegal immigration, which has seen thousands of children separated from their parents after their parents were detained over the past several weeks.
“We need to fix the problem and it requires a legislative solution,” McConnell added, dismissing a claim from Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer
Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerManchin wrestles with progressive backlash in West Virginia The Hill's Morning Report — Presented by the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs — Health care a top policy message in fall campaigns McConnell says deficits 'not a Republican problem' MORE (N.Y.) that President Trump
Donald John TrumpTrump to fundraise for 3 Republicans running for open seats: report Trump to nominate former Monsanto exec to top Interior position White House aides hadn’t heard of Trump's new tax cut: report MORE could address the crisis without going through Congress.
Charles (Chuck) Ellis SchumerManchin wrestles with progressive backlash in West Virginia The Hill's Morning Report — Presented by the Coalition for Affordable Prescription Drugs — Health care a top policy message in fall campaigns McConnell says deficits 'not a Republican problem' MORE (N.Y.) that President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump to fundraise for 3 Republicans running for open seats: report Trump to nominate former Monsanto exec to top Interior position White House aides hadn’t heard of Trump's new tax cut: report MORE could address the crisis without going through Congress.The GOP leader, however, argued against trying to add other immigration-related proposals to the measure.
“My assumption is in order to fix this problem you can’t fix all the problems,” McConnell said.
Sen. Orrin Hatch
Orrin Grant HatchGOP leaders hesitant to challenge Trump on Saudi Arabia Congress should work with Trump and not 'cowboy' on Saudi Arabia, says GOP senator US to open trade talks with Japan, EU, UK MORE (R-Utah), one of Trump’s staunchest defenders, has circulated a letter among colleagues calling on Attorney General Jeff Sessions
Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsConservatives fume over format of upcoming Rosenstein interview Support for legal marijuana hits all-time high: Gallup Beto O'Rourke on impeachment: 'There is enough there to proceed' MORE to stop the practice — at least temporarily.
Orrin Grant HatchGOP leaders hesitant to challenge Trump on Saudi Arabia Congress should work with Trump and not 'cowboy' on Saudi Arabia, says GOP senator US to open trade talks with Japan, EU, UK MORE (R-Utah), one of Trump’s staunchest defenders, has circulated a letter among colleagues calling on Attorney General Jeff SessionsJefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsConservatives fume over format of upcoming Rosenstein interview Support for legal marijuana hits all-time high: Gallup Beto O'Rourke on impeachment: 'There is enough there to proceed' MORE to stop the practice — at least temporarily.“I’m asking for a pause,” Hatch said. “I think we ought to pause and look at this very carefully.”
He also plans to call Trump in the next few days to make a personal appeal.
“When it comes to families, I don’t want people tampering with these families. These kids, they should be with their parents and I’m very upset with what’s happening here,” he said.
Several Republican senators are working on legislation that would keep families together while they are undergoing prosecution for illegal immigration or waiting on asylum requests.
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn
John CornynManchin wrestles with progressive backlash in West Virginia O'Rourke's rise raises hopes for Texas Dems down ballot Five takeaways from Cruz, O'Rourke debate showdown MORE (R-Texas), who is taking the lead, said the legislation could move as a stand-alone measure or be attached to the spending bill now under consideration on the floor. “We consider this an urgent matter. I think everybody has seen these terrible scenes of children being separated from their parents and wants to try to come up with a solution,” he told reporters.
Cornyn and his allies rolled out a plan during a lunch meeting Tuesday that would require that families be kept together in a humane setting and put them at the “head of the line” to see a judge if they have a request for asylum or other legal claim to be admitted to the country.
Cornyn said he hoped “this is something we could do in a matter of days.
Sen. Ted Cruz
Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzTrump recounts 2016 feud with Cruz at Houston campaign rally Trump says he’s made up with ‘Beautiful Ted’ Cruz The Hill's 12:30 Report — Trump says he is cutting foreign aid over caravan | Lawmakers point fingers at Saudi crown prince | DNC chair downplays 'blue wave' talk MORE (R-Texas) will introduce his own bill later in the week that would double the number of federal immigration judges and mandate that immigrant families be kept together unless they are accused of aggravated illegal conduct. His proposal would also authorize new shelters to keep those families together.
“We need to fix the problem and hope that we do,” he said. “I’ve engaged in ongoing conversations with my colleagues, including Sen. Cornyn.”
