“The vote this week in the Senate is not to pass the bill, it is to open up and say: ‘Can we debate this?’” said Sen. James Lankford. | Susan Walsh/AP Photo Government Shutdown GOP senator: Trump’s ‘straw man proposal’ not meant to become law

A Republican senator who encouraged President Donald Trump to pursue a compromise with congressional Democrats to end the partial government shutdown described the White House’s offer this weekend as “a straw man proposal” that is not intended to become law.

“What I encouraged the White House to do and multiple others encouraged the White House to do is put out a proposal,” Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) said Sunday during an interview with host Martha Raddatz on ABC’s “This Week.”


“They've listened to a lot of Democrat and Republican members for the last month. They've heard all the demands, they know all the background on it,” said Lankford, a member of the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

“Put out a straw man proposal. Get something out there the president can say, ‘I can support this’ — and has elements from both sides. Put it on the table, then open it up for debate.”

In an address from the White House on Saturday, Trump proposed enacting certain border security measures and temporary protection for some undocumented immigrants in exchange for $5.7 billion in border wall funding.

Trump followed up with a tweet Sunday that specified his offer did not include amnesty of any kind. “No, Amnesty is not a part of my offer,” the president wrote online. “It is a 3 year extension of DACA. Amnesty will be used only on a much bigger deal, whether on immigration or something else. Likewise there will be no big push to remove the 11,000,000 plus people who are here illegally-but be careful Nancy!”

Although Democrats rejected the pitch, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) calling the idea a "nonstarter," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said the bill will be voted on in the coming week.

“The vote this week in the Senate is not to pass the bill, it is to open up and say: ‘Can we debate this? Can we amend it? Can we make changes?’” Lankford said Sunday.

He added: “Let’s find a way to be able to get the government open because there are elements in this that are clearly elements that have been supported by the Democrats strongly in the past.”

The longest shutdown in U.S. history entered its 30th day on Sunday.