4 A
❘
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ JANUARY 7, 2018
Siuslaw News
P.O. Box 10
Florence, OR 97439
NED HICKSON , EDITOR
Opinion
❘ 541-902-3520 ❘
NHICKSON @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
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L ETTERS
DACA answer caught between
aisles in politcal tug of war
The majority of Americans
support allowing recipients of
DACA (Differed Action for
Childhood Arrivals) to remain
in the U.S. with a pathway to
citizenship.
Period.
Even President Trump has
voiced his support in asking
members of Congress to be
compassionate in drafting what
he referred to as “...a bill of
love.”
Yet, despite this large — and
increasingly rare — patch of
common ground, a deep divide
continues in the aisles on
Capitol Hill between republi-
cans and democrats as DACA
recipients are caught in the
middle of a political tug of war.
Both parties are using
Dreamers as a bargaining chip
for things that go beyond the
scope of the issue at hand,
underscoring what most of us
have come to expect from
leadership in Washington:
Taking something simple and
complicating it with the
demands of special interests,
with the biggest of those spe-
for a border wall and cutting
legal immigration by one-half
million people each year.
Democrats refuse to consid-
er narrowing sponsorship of
illegal family members beyond
spouses and minor children,
and the elimination of the visa
lottery program.
From the Editor’s Desk
N ED H ICKSON
cial interests being toeing the
party line.
Because of this, both sides
have injected additional
demands that have little or
nothing to do with DACA, and
everything to do with “win-
ning” in the eyes of party
members.
Republicans want the guar-
antee of $25 billion in funding
While all of those are legiti-
mate issues that should be dis-
cussed as part of a comprehen-
sive overhaul of our nation’s
immigration policies, the idea
of “striking while the iron is
hot” in order to rush party
agendas through the capitol
will only lead to DACA recipi-
ents getting burned.
One would hope that after
what has been, at best, a tumul-
tuous year that shows little
likelihood of easing in the
months ahead, congressional
leaders could seize the oppor-
tunity to pass a piece of legis-
lation without strings attached
that would be a solid and high-
ly symbolic cornerstone in
bridging that deep divide.
We are, after all, a nation of
immigrants. I can think of no
better way to begin the healing
process and de-polarization of
our nation than by putting
aside partisan politicking to
inspire a new generation of
young immigrants to embrace
the American dream — and in
the process, inspire the rest of
us to once again believe in
those elected to assure the
American dream continues.
Write Siuslaw News editor Ned
Hickson at nhickson@thesiuslaw
news.com or c/o Siuslaw News, 148
Maple St., Florence, Ore. 97439.
TO THE
P OLICY
E DITOR
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WHERE TO WRITE
Pres. Donald Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
TTY/TDD Comments:
202-456-6213
www.whitehouse.gov
Gov. Kate Brown
160 State Capitol
900 Court St.
Salem, Ore. 97301-4047
Governor’s Citizens’ Rep.
Message Line:
503-378-4582
www.oregon.gov/gov
U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden
221 Dirksen Senate Office
Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5244
541-431-0229
www.wyden.senate.gov
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley
313 Hart Senate Office
Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-3753/FAX: 202-
228-3997
541-465-6750
www.merkley.senate.gov
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio
( 4 th Dist.)
2134 Rayburn HOB
Washington, DC 20515
202-225-6416
541-269-2609
541-465-6732
www.defazio.house.gov
State Sen. Arnie Roblan
( Dist. 5 )
900 Court St. NE - S-417
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1705
FAX: 503-986-1080
Email: Sen.ArnieRoblan@
oregonlegislature.gov
State Rep. Caddy
McKeown
( Dist. 9 )
900 Court St. NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-986-1409
Email: rep.caddymckeown
@state.or.us
West Lane County
Commissioner
Jay Bozievich
125 E. Eighth St.
Eugene, OR 97401
541-682-4203
FAX: 541-682-4616
Email:
Jay.Bozievich@
co.lane.or.us