Newly minted CNN commentator Mia Love said Tuesday morning that Democrats in Congress are blowing an opportunity to win some concessions from the Trump administration as they search for a solution to the partial government shutdown.
Numerous government agencies are shut down right now as President Donald Trump is refusing to sign any funding bill that does not include $5.7 billion for construction of a border wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. Trump repeatedly promised during his 2016 presidential run that Mexico would foot the bill for construction of the border wall.
Love, a former member of Congress, said Democrats should play hardball with Trump in budget negotiations to win protections for children of undocumented immigrants who are in danger of being deported.
“Speaker Pelosi can come to the table and say, give me DACA. She could ask for the moon and see who budges,” she said.
In response, former Democratic Rep. Luis Gutierrez agreed but said Trump can’t be trusted.
“Mia is right, but she won’t do it because they have tried it before and it did not work,” he said.
Love said Congress has abdicated its traditional role in the budget process.
“Many of my Republican colleagues like to say look at the Constitution, and the Constitution says the Senate and the House are co-equal branches of the government,” said Love. “All of this should be in the hands of Congress, and they have involved the administration way too much, and that is why we have these problems.”
Watch the clip from CNN below:
