Senator Chuck Grassley

President Donald Trump today said the immigration bill Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley is sponsoring in the U.S. Senate fits the “White House framework” and Trump is urging senators to vote for it.

Grassley is the lead sponsor of the legislation. It would eventually grant citizenship to 1.8 million people brought into the U.S. illegally as children who qualify for the DACA program.

“And whoever would have thought from the campaign that President Trump would be for citizenship?” Grassley asked rhetorically today during a conference call with Iowa reporters. “But he has gone along with us on that.”

In a written statement, President Trump called Grassley’s bill “responsible immigration reform” that provides a “lasting solution” for the so-called “Dreamers.”

“The goal is to provide certainty and legal status to undocumented immigrants,” Grassley said. “…I suppose technically you could say the kids broke the law, but if you come here in diapers and your parents bring you here, I don’t think we’re going to attribute that crime to babies.”

Grassley’s proposal includes an end to so-called “chain migration” and a lottery system for granting visas as well as $25 billion for border security.

“This bill does not contain every provision I’d like to see,” Grassley told Iowa reporters today, “but in the spirit of compromise, I’m willing to support this proposal because it’s what the president will sign and finally solve this pressing problem.”

On another subject, Grassley said he was “not prepared to announce” whether the Senate Judiciary Committee might investigate why a man who lacked an F-B-I security clearance was allowed to be President Trump’s staff secretary and handle classified documents.