On Wednesday’s broadcast of “NewsNation Now,” Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) lamented that the passage of the most recent funding bill ended the “real opportunity” to make changes to ICE contingent on government funding, “and the longer we get from the tragic situation with Alex Pretti and Renee Good before that, the harder it becomes.” He also stated that he thinks coming to an agreement to fund DHS beyond the ten-day period will be “a heavy lift.”
Host Connell McShane asked, “Short answer, do you get it done in ten days, it’s — from the talk we’re hearing, it’s going to be a relatively heavy lift. Is that fair?”
Levin answered, “I think it’s a heavy lift. The sad reality — and, look, I hope I’m wrong — but the sad reality is I think our real opportunity was yesterday to have advocated for these changes and to make our support for government funding contingent on that support — or those changes to ICE. And I say that as a member of the Appropriations Committee who desperately wants to see the government funded, that that really was an opportunity, and the longer we get from the tragic situation with Alex Pretti and Renee Good before that, the harder it becomes.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett