Are Republicans Scheming To Get Amnesty Out of Conference?

Mickey Kaus (our podcast guest this week; we'll post that tomorrow) is worried.

But what if backers of "comprehensive immigration reform" have come up with a way to snatch a victory from their apparent defeat? That’s the alarm sounded by Rosemary Jenks of NumbersUSA. Remember that a key goal of House amnesty opponents has been to avoid a "conference committee" with the Senate in which the latter could insist on some kind of legalization bill (maybe not as broad as the infamous "Gang of 8" legislation, but broad enough) that would then go to a vote in the House and maybe pass with mainly Democratic votes. Even the minor House "Denham Amendment" (to allow undocumented immigrants who serve in the military to be legalized) was successfully opposed as a Trojan Horse for triggering a free-ranging conference negotiation.

Well, now there's another bit of immigration legislation the House might send to the Senate: A law tinkering with the language of the Wilberforce Act, which the Obama administration claims requires it to offer cumbersome hearings to those now crossing the border from Central America (leading to their de facto admission into the U.S. while they wait for the hearing that many will skip out on anyway).

So the fear is that this Coburn/Cuellar "compromise measure" on improving the Wilberforce Act (7 days for hearing, three days for judge to decide) will invite a full House-Senate conference to negotiate differences, and this last mechanism will permit the amnestias to launch a full-spectrum Comprehensive Piece of Shit on both houses of Congress.

I don't think they'll do that, for a couple of reasons.

1, they have to at least be smart enough to know the base is furious over Mississippi. Would they dare to strike again while the base is angry?

2, the border situation has made Amnesty a lot less politically attractive.

a) This liberal commentator warns her fellow liberals to not blow it on Amnesty.

[N]w with the current child border crisis, those who were [previously] moved by Vargas’ story, and subsequently softened their position on illegal immigration in good faith, are being asked to bend further by welcoming thousands of more illegal immigrants. And these immigrants will not be able to contribute to the economy as Vargas has, and may already be costing taxpayers close to 2 billion dollars.

I have already heard from some who have shifted their position on Dreamers thanks to Vargas. But these people are still outraged that they, and their states, are being asked to take responsibility for the thousands of children who have flooded U.S. borders in recent months. The message I have heard can best be summarized in one word: "Enough."

If progressives really care about seeing comprehensive immigration reform become a reality anytime soon then they need to support President Obama’s plans to deport these immigrant children. If they don’t, then the public is unlikely to continue standing with them in the immigration fight.

b) Americans have for a while now given Republicans a negative rating on their handling of immigration issues. Now Obama shares that distinction.

Nearly 6 out of 10 Americans are not happy with Obama’s performance in dealing with the tens of thousands of minors who have arrived from Central America in recent months, overwhelming Border Patrol stations. All told, 58 percent disapprove of his management on the issue, including 54 percent of Latinos.

...

But as with many other hot-button issues, congressional Republicans fare even worse in the court of public opinion, with 66 percent disapproving of the job GOP lawmakers have done to address the crisis.

That's barely worse than 58%.

A Pew poll found pretty much the same:

Only 28% of those surveyed approve of Obama's response to the surge of children along the border, while twice as many (56%) say they disapprove of his efforts, according to the poll by the non-partisan Pew Research Center.

"That is one of the lowest ratings for his handling of any issue since he became president," the report said.

Republicans don't get off the hook in the report's finding. More respondents said Republicans need to do a better job on immigration (42%) than those who said Democrats need to do better (40%).

So long as we can keep Mitch McConnell from saying terrible things about women, we can stick to our policy and let the facts vindicate us.

The border must be secured before any other business. Period.

posted by Ace at 07:13 PM

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