The Latest: Trump says Dems are spreading phony border tales
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on immigration legislation (all times local):
10:15 a.m. President Donald Trump is accusing Democrats of circulating "phony stories of sadness and grief," amid a global uproar over his 'zero tolerance' policy for illegal border crossings.
Calling for a "strong" border, he says: "We cannot allow our Country to be overrun by illegal immigrants as the Democrats tell their phony stories of sadness and grief, hoping it will help them in the elections."
He adds: "Obama and others had the same pictures, and did nothing about it!'"
Trump issued an executive order Wednesday to move to halt family separations, saying he was affected by the same images.
In another tweet Friday, Trump backed off calling on Congress to act on immigration, telling Republicans not to be "wasting their time" trying to pass legislation before the November midterms.
10:10 a.m.
Two leading Republicans say they'll keep trying to push a GOP immigration bill through the House. That's despite a damaging tweet by President Donald Trump urging them to wait until after the November elections.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy says it's "important" that his chamber shows it's addressing the issue, which is an important one to voters. And House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte says he will "absolutely" keep pushing the legislation because GOP lawmakers want to continue.
Trump has tweeted that "Republicans should stop wasting their time" on the issue until after the elections, when he thinks the GOP will gain strength in Congress.
That dealt a serious blow to leaders' efforts to win support for legislation that already lacked enough votes to pass the House because of GOP divisions.
7:30 a.m.
Days after insisting that Congress act immediately, President Donald Trump is telling Republicans to "stop wasting their time" on immigration until after the November elections.
In Friday morning tweets, Trump says Democrats have "no intention" of supplying the votes necessary to pass legislation on the issue and says "We can pass great legislation after the Red Wave!"
Trump had travelled to Capitol Hill as recently as Tuesday to sell GOP lawmakers on embracing immigration bills pushed by House leadership and to take action to halt the separation of migrant families at the border.
Republican leaders delayed a vote Thursday on what was billed as a compromise measure to fund border security and address legal status for young immigrants brought to the U.S. unlawfully as children, as they try to win more support for the bill.
___
2:40 a.m.
The House Republican immigration overhaul is dangling precariously. It is imperiled by stubborn differences between conservative and moderate factions - and by President Donald Trump's running commentary about a bill he only half-heartedly supported and then suggested would never become law.
Republican leaders were twice forced to postpone final voting, first until Friday and then punting it to next week, as negotiators made a last-ditch push for support.
They were trying to persuade colleagues to seize the moment and tackle immigration problems by approving the bill, which includes $25 billion for Trump's border wall and a path to citizenship for young immigrants who have lived in the U.S. illegally since childhood.