<p class="p1"><span class="s1">California Rep. <a shape="rect" class="memberLink" title="Click to view member info in a new window" href="https://data.rollcall.com/members/72?rel=memberLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dana Rohrabacher</a> said he told President Donald Trump that he knows how to pay for the border wall: sell U.S. citizenship to rich foreigners.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The 15-term Republican pitched the idea during a 45-minute meeting with Trump on Tuesday in the Oval Office, according to <a shape="rect" href="https://www.ocregister.com/articles/meeting-748480-costa-rep.html">accounts</a> in California newspapers. He told reporters that Trump was impressed.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Rohrabacher’s plan would involve ending a lottery program that awards citizenship to 50,000 people annually, most of them from Africa and Eastern Europe, the <a shape="rect" href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-updates-rohrabacher-talks-ways-to-build-border-1491420184-htmlstory.html">Los Angeles Times</a> reported. Instead, the same number of wealthy people would be allowed to apply for citizenship, which would cost successful applicants $1 million each.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“We have 50,000 people come into the country every year chosen by a lottery, which is ridiculous. If we’re going to have people come in, OK, let’s choose the people coming in,” Rohrabacher told the newspaper on Wednesday.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Rohrabacher discussed other topics with the president, but Trump was “especially keen” on the border wall idea, Rohrabacher told the <a shape="rect" href="https://www.ocregister.com/articles/meeting-748480-costa-rep.html">Orange County Register</a>. Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and strategist Steven Bannon were also reportedly in the office during the meeting.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A vocal supporter of Trump, Rohrabacher has been criticized by his own party for being too cozy with Russia. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Democrats have already <a shape="rect" href="https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/californias-dana-rohrabacher-attracts-early-democratic-challengers">targeted his district</a>, which <a shape="rect" class="memberLink" title="Click to view member info in a new window" href="https://data.rollcall.com/members/7201?rel=memberLink" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hillary Clinton</a> carried by 2 points last fall. Two Democratic candidates <a shape="rect" href="https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/californias-dana-rohrabacher-attracts-early-democratic-challengers">have already announced plans</a> to challenge him. </span></p><div id="cqrcPostAdditional"></div>
