Here is what is trending in politics around Georgia and across the nation on Thursday.
1. Perdue's legal immigration bill
Sen. David Perdue (R, GA), along with the full-throated support of President Donald Trump, revealed a bill that would halve legal immigration numbers in the United States in 10 years. The Reforming American Immigration for a Strong Economy (RAISE) Act would give "priority to the best-skilled immigrants from around the world and reduce overall immigration by half," The New York Times reported. Immigrants would be rated on a skills-based point system that includes level of education, English-language ability, high-paying job offers, age, record of extraordinary achievement, and entrepreneurial initiative.
2. Expanding college aid for vets
The president is expected to sign a bill that will expand college aid for military veterans, The Washington Post is reporting. The bill removes a 15-year time limit to use certain GI benefits and increases money for thousands of National Guard and Reserve members. Georgia's National Guard has more than 11,000 members. Those who complete STEM courses would also be able to get additional payments.
3. Justice: Not specifically investigating universities
Despite reports on Wednesday to the contrary, the Justice Department says it is not planning to investigate whether white students are being discriminated against under university admissions policies. According to Justice Department spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores, the job posting within the Civil Rights Division that was cited by The New York Times was related to a complaint filed by a coalition of 64 Asian-American associations in May 2015.
4. Kelly to Sessions: You're safe
The Associated Press is reporting that Jeff Sessions has been assured by White House chief of staff John Kelly that his job is not in jeopardy. Sessions was called this past weekend by Kelly and encouraged to keep up the initiatives he has begun at the Justice Department, according to the report.
5. CNN's Acosta, White House's Miller go 10 rounds over immigration
White House senior adviser Stephen Miller and CNN White House reporter Jim Acosta got into a pointed exchange over the RAISE initiative to cut legal immigration. Acosta, whose family immigrated from Cuba in the early 1960s, asked Miller if the White House was "trying to change what it means to be an immigrant coming into this country." Later in the 7-minute exchange, Miller saidAcosta's comment, "reveals your cosmopolitan bias to a shocking degree ... This is an amazing moment." It was. Watch it below.
6. Perry for Homeland Security chief?
President Trump is considering Energy Secretary Rick Perry for his new Homeland Security chief, according to Bloomberg News. The story says others are also on the short list to replace Gen. John Kelly who became Trump's new chief of staff last week.
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