“The administration has no plans to gut the Clean Air Act or Clean Water Act,” Short said. “What you’ve seen really over the last year is, by rolling back the burdensome regulations the previous administration had put in place, the economy has taken off.”
Trump will also address immigration, a policy area where Republicans and Democrats are deeply divided and was the main sticking point in this month’s government shutdown.
DACA And The Wall
Trump’s plan would offer deportation protection and a pathway to citizenship for as many as 1.8 million people under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA. In exchange, the White House wants $25 billion for construction of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and for additional border and port security.
The president also wants to limit a program that gives preferential status to the families of U.S. citizens and immigrants, and to eliminate the visa lottery program.
Short said approving wall funding and other parts of the Trump’s proposal would prevent future clashes over young undocumented immigrants. That, he said, would make them worthwhile trade-offs for offering a pathway to citizenship, which many conservatives decry.
“I think conservatives recognize the benefit to really securing our border and helping to fix these long-term problems,” Short said. “We’re going to get widespread support on our side.”
Taunting Democrats
Yet, Trump on Saturday appeared reluctant to commit to the bipartisan tone aides say he will strike. In two late-night tweets, the president said he’s offered a “wonderful” deal because Republicans want to fix the problem and “to show that Democrats do not want to solve DACA, only use it!”
“Democrats are not interested in Border Safety & Security or in the funding and rebuilding of our Military,” Trump said on Twitter. “They are only interested in Obstruction!”