Has there been an administration in the modern era where the internal debates are hashed out in so public a manner? Consider Tuesday, when two members of Donald Trump’s cabinet spoke out forcefully on unresolved policy questions.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, in announcing the administration’s plans to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, allowed that Congress could decide to change the law regarding the legal status of those who illegally entered the country as minors—something the White House had hinted it wanted done. But in arguing that the DACA program, which was instituted via executive action by President Obama, was unconstitutional and violated the separation of powers, Sessions also made an argument against the policy itself.
“The effect of this unilateral executive amnesty, among other things, contributed to a surge of unaccompanied minors on the southern border that yielded terrible humanitarian consequences,” Sessions said. “It also denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans by allowing those same jobs to go to illegal aliens.”
That’s a harsh assessment of a policy that others in the administration—including the president himself!—say they want to see be re-executed legislatively. In a prepared statement Tuesday, President Trump said “we will resolve the DACA issue with heart and compassion—but through the lawful Democratic [sic] process.” White House chief of staff (and former Homeland Security secretary) John Kelly, has been quietly looking for a DACA fix compromise that can pass Congress. And at her briefing Tuesday, Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president is calling for Congress to work with the White House on “responsible immigration reform . . . that would include . . .DACA . . .”
And then there’s the Iran nuclear deal. Also on Tuesday, U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley spoke up to not-quite-but-almost advocate for decertifying Iran’s compliance at the next 90-day deadline in October.
“If the president chooses not to certify Iranian compliance, that does not mean the United States is withdrawing from the JCPOA,” Haley said at a Tuesday speech at the American Enterprise Institute. “If the president finds that he cannot certify Iranian compliance, it would be a message to Congress that the administration believes either that Iran is in violation of the deal, or that the lifting of sanctions against Iran is not appropriate and proportional to the regime’s behavior, or that the lifting of sanctions is not in the U.S. national security interest, or any combination of the three.”
Haley claimed she was “not making the case for decertifying.”
“What I am saying,” she said, “is, should he decide to decertify, he has ground to stand on.”
President Trump wants to fulfill his campaign promise to “dismantle” the Iran deal—but secretary of State Rex Tillerson and secretary of Defense James Mattis have urged recertification in the past. Others, such as CIA director Mike Pompeo, have encouraged Trump to take seriously Iran’s violations of the deal and not certify its compliance.
So far the president has grudgingly recertified Iran’s compliance, in accordance with U.S. law. At the same time, the White House has said that it needs to complete a comprehensive review of the policy. But there’s been no indication that Trump is ready to decertify in October—until his U.N. ambassador floated the idea this week.
What’s going on here? Are these cabinet members getting ahead of the administration in order to influence the president? Are these sanctioned trial balloons for the White House to test out possible courses of action? Are high-ranking administration officials just saying and doing what they please?
Trump Tweet of the Day/Mark It Down/“Huh?” Moment—“Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can’t, I will revisit this issue!” – President Donald Trump, September 4, 2016.
Republicans in Congress face a daunting legislative calendar this fall, including lengthy battles on funding the government, raising the debt ceiling, reforming the tax system, and passing hurricane relief—to say nothing of a promised infrastructure bill. Tuesday’s DACA announcement dumps another issue on Congress’s plate: immigration.
Congressional Republicans are wincing at the timing of the White House’s new push for “responsible immigration reform” that would include a DACA fix. Over the weekend, leadership in both the House and the Senate called on Trump not to force the issue by pulling the plug on DACA. But the White House has shown little sympathy for congressional logistics. In her Tuesday briefing, Sarah Huckabee Sanders noted that the legislators were fresh off a three-week vacation, and said it was time for them to “do the job that they were elected to do.”
“If they can’t, then they should get out of the way and let somebody else take their job that can actually get something done,” Sanders said.
GOP leaders on the Hill are gritting their teeth at the new agenda item.
“However well-intentioned, President Obama’s DACA program was a clear abuse of executive authority, an attempt to create law out of thin air,” House speaker Paul Ryan said in a statement. “It is my hope that the House and Senate, with the president’s leadership, will be able to find consensus on a permanent legislative solution that includes ensuring that those who have done nothing wrong can still contribute as a valued part of this great country.”
Hurricane Watch—Could Irma, a category 5 hurricane with near-record winds blowing through the Caribbean toward the United States, be heading right for the Winter White House?
In all seriousness, Irma could soon become a big problem for Florida and elsewhere in the States. “Hurricane Irma, a dangerous Category 5 hurricane, continues to strengthen as it bears down on the Leeward Islands, and will rake through the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispañola, the Bahamas and Cuba before posing a serious threat to Florida and parts of the Southeast beginning this weekend,” reports the Weather Channel. “Irma’s maximum sustained winds are steady at 185 mph based on data from NOAA and Air Force Hurricane Hunter aircraft. Based on wind speed, Irma is the strongest Atlantic hurricane since Wilma in 2005 which also had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph.”
Feature of the Day—“Big Tobacco Goes Soft” by Bill McMorris at the Washington Free Beacon.
Star Wars Watch—Another Star Wars movie director has “parted ways” with the franchise. This time it’s Colin Trevorrow, who was set to direct the sequel to the upcoming Episode VIII: The Last Jedi.
Song of the Day—“Dreamer” by Supertramp.
