Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) said on Monday the Trump administration's border security plan is good and something "we all could get behind."
CNN host Chris Cuomo asked Heitkamp on "New Day" whether Democrats were willing to put their money where their mouth is and approve funding to pay for more border security, which they claim they want.
Heitkamp said she thinks every senator should sit down with the Department of Homeland Security and hear out its plan for border security because the proposed plan is "eminently reasonable."
"You know the thing about border security is, when you actually sit down with DHS and talk about what their plan is, it’s eminently reasonable, and every senator should do that," Heitkamp said. "I think this is kind of the pawn on the cheeseboard to avoid a real discussion about the Dreamers. And so I’m for border security. I’ve been briefed on the plan, I think they have a good plan, and I think that we all could get behind it."
However, Cuomo wondered why Heitkamp would want to give President Donald Trump the political win of passing through funding for a border wall without a stand alone deal for those currently protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
"Well actually there’s a misnomer and there’s constant discussion that Democrats don’t believe in border security," Heitkamp countered. "Every person who has looked at the plan from DHS–never mind the rhetoric, never mind the White House, let’s deal with the professionals. And the professionals have a plan we can all get behind that actually improves structures, but also uses technology, and to my point, puts more beef on the points of entry where most of the very dangerous and hard drugs are coming through."
Heitkamp said the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed plan would be a good compromise. She said it should be funded as it addresses the northern, maritime, and southwest borders, and at the same time would give Trump "what he asked for in '18."
Democrats refused last week to support Republican's continuing resolution to fund the government without a DACA replacement, which led to a partial government shutdown at the end of the day Friday. Some Democrats have also pushed for a "clean" DACA bill, one not tied to other immigration reform, including funding for border security. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) blasted Democrats and called the situation "utter madness" on Saturday.