Sunday: Cotton, Gardner, Manchin
Immigration talks between the White House, Congressional Republicans and Democrats accelerated this week as lawmakers worked toward a legislative fix on DACA, a program extending legal status to some undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children that President Trump is ending, effective March 31.
The conversation about immigration has also touched on border security and some broader reforms, but it was thrown off course Thursday, when Mr. Trump reportedly made a derogatory comment about African and Caribbean nations during an Oval Office meeting with lawmakers.
Meanwhile, Congress had its hands full otherwise: the House reauthorized a controversial intelligence tool that allows U.S. spy agencies to spy on some foreign citizens. And lawmakers in both chambers continued working to pass a spending bill and head off a government shutdown next week.
The president also granted a temporary extension of the Iran nuclear deal on Friday, and mused in an interview with the Wall Street Journal about his "very good relationship" with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
This Sunday on "Face the Nation," we'll talk with Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Arkansas, who has attended multiple meetings with the president on immigration throughout the past year and has proposed his own plan that eliminates the visa lottery system and cuts legal immigration by 50 percent over a decade. Cotton was in the meeting on Thursday, but he claims he didn't recall the president making a derogatory statement about African and Caribbean countries. We'll ask him about the immigration debate and the White House's handling of foreign hot spots such as Iran and North Korea.
We'll also hear from Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, on the potential solutions and hurdles lawmakers face in discussions over spending and immigration reform. Gardner, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, will also weigh in on North Korea and the 2018 midterms.
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, will join the program to talk about President Trump's remarks, the immigration debate, and the budget. Known as a lawmaker willing to work across the aisle, we'll ask Sen. Manchin about what areas on immigration he sees Congress finding compromise on.
Ahead of the first anniversary of the Trump administration, CBS News Election and Surveys Director Anthony Salvanto will bring us a new Nation Tracker poll numbers on the state of public opinion in the country – including data on the president, the economy, race relations, and much more.
As always, we will have our expert political panel to break down this week's barrage of headlines. Senior Editor of the National Review Jonah Goldberg, CBS News Contributor and Slate Chief Political Correspondent Jamelle Bouie, USA Today Washington Bureau Chief Susan Page and Cook Political Report National Editor Amy Walter all will join us.
It's been another busy week in Washington with tons of news to unpack, so check your local listings and make sure to tune into "Face the Nation" this Sunday.