Molly Prince on August 8, 2018
Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana expressed his discontent on Monday with how far politically left some of his Democratic colleagues have moved on certain issues.
“I think [abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)] is a terrible idea,” Donnelly told the Washington Examiner, responding to recent calls within his party to abolish the agency over its involvement in separating families who cross the border illegally.
“It’s important that we have strong and safe and secure borders, and ICE is a part of that,” he continued.
Donnelly also made clear his opposition to single-payer health care, another far-left policy that is gaining traction with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party. “I’m trying to protect what we have now. That’s my focus — is to make sure we can protect pre-existing conditions, protect the Affordable Care Act,” he explained.
The Indiana senator is considered to be one of the Senate’s most vulnerable Democrats. He is trying to stay in the favor of a primarily conservative constituency that heavily favored President Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election cycle; Trump won Indiana by more than 19 percentage points against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Democrats are hoping to gain control of the Senate and retaining Donnelly’s seat is critical if they are to have any chance to do so.
Send tips to [email protected]
