Posted on 01/18/2010 2:35:33 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
WASHINGTON — Born into South Texas poverty as the son of migrant workers, a man who rose from shoeshine boy to sheriff to congressman is the face of the immigration reform bill set to slog its way through the House of Representatives this year.
That's by design. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi, a 27-year veteran of legislative battles, isn't the only Democrat who concedes the road for immigration reform is steeply uphill in a midterm election year.
But the bill's backers are counting on the Robstown native to draw on his life experience to argue that immigration reform is needed to protect Americans and immigrants alike.
“When I was sheriff, you would be surprised how many news reports of skeletons they found in the field: of women, children, females who died on their way to the United States,” he said. “This is painful.”
Ortiz said unauthorized immigration must be stopped through a reform of broken laws.
The House bill, introduced last month by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., would protect unauthorized workers from unscrupulous employers and give 12 million unauthorized immigrants a chance for citizenship if they meet certain criteria.
Ortiz said it would also shrink a human pipeline and a culture of hiding, removing cover that could be used by terrorists stalking the U.S.
“We have terrorist cells. Everybody knows that,” Ortiz said.
“When you give these people an opportunity to be legally here, you allow them to come out,” he said. “And those who want to harm this country aren't going to come out and say, ‘I'm here.'”
Gutierrez said Latino lawmakers chose Ortiz, the dean of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, as the lead sponsor of the legislation out of deference to his tenure and leadership on civil rights issues.
“There are just occasions when seniority matters,” Gutierrez said.
To make his point, Gutierrez said his immigration reform bill in 2007 garnered 14 co-sponsors.
There are 94 co-sponsors to this year's reform attempt. But no Republican has backed the bill.
A Republican ally of Gutierrez who co-sponsored the 2007 bill, Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., called the current legislation “flawed” because it drops a guest worker provision. That is seen as a concession to organized labor, but it will cost the bill some business support.
President Barack Obama has urged Congress to pass immigration reform, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has said she will let the Senate go first, to shield about 60 Democrats in competitive election year races from unnecessary tough votes.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is expected to file a bill this year that calls for tough enforcement measures. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the upper chamber would move on a reform bill, although no timetable has been announced.
Reid, a Democrat, faces a serious re-election challenge in Nevada and needs the state's growing numbers of Hispanic voters.
Picking Ortiz to carry the House bill is more symbolic than strategic, backers and opponents of the legislation agree.
“I think it's a symbolic move to involve a border congressman, and nobody better than a Texan. Solomon Ortiz is a good man, but it's still a bad bill,” said Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee.
“Giving amnesty to 12 million illegal immigrants who will compete with Americans and legal immigrants for scarce jobs and drive down wages is not a popular position,” Smith said.
Even Ortiz admits the bill faces hurdles. He said he hopes the House brings it up for debate and a vote, but added, “I don't think it will happen until late, late this year.”
Ortiz grew up in South Texas and did agricultural work with his parents. He remembers well the barriers and discrimination that he faced as a Mexican American.
“I was not an illegal immigrant, but I suffered having to live in substandard conditions, with housing that we had, working in the fields.
“For those children who have grown up in the United States, not knowing any other country, we need to ensure that they are fully integrated into the American system by allowing them to pursue education,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz earned a General Educational Development diploma after dropping out of school at 16 to help support his mother and family when his father died. He joined the Army and, stationed in France, developed an interest in law enforcement investigative techniques and became a military police officer.
He returned to Corpus Christi and was elected a Nueces County constable in 1964, a county commissioner in 1968 and sheriff in 1976.
First elected to Congress in 1982, Ortiz has served 14 terms and is considered a House moderate, an anti-abortion Democrat who supports gun rights. He is a high-ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee.
As the immigration reform debate nears, Ortiz dismisses criticism that the bill he will carry is too liberal and that it would unfairly grant citizenship to those here illegally, who he refers to as “good people who have worked hard.”
“This is not an amnesty bill,” he said. “This is a human bill that rights the wrongs that we've done for many years.”
Ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
” “This is a human bill that rights the wrongs that we’ve done for many years.” “
What crap!
“Immigration Reform” = “Amnesty” no matter how strenuously the libs and RINOs protest.
Reagan’s biggest mistake
Immigration reform is sorely needed—in the form of vastly reduced immigration, restriction of birthright citizenship to children of US citizens, and deportation of all illegal aliens. America just doesn’t need any more illiterate, third world leaf blower operators.
“to draw on his life experience”
Yeah, those “compelling life stories” override my rational thinking every time.
Because this chump has a “life experience” I’m supposed to be in favor of amnesty. Go share your life experience with some buddies in Tijuana and clean up a little border crime while you’re down there, Ortiz.
This Rep Ortiz wants a joint merger between America and Mexico. He’s a Mexican so that’s what he wants for his people. It’s the same thing when 95% of Blacks voted 0bama because he is one of their own even though he comes from East Africa and all American blacks are descendants of West African blacks
Mexico is the last country I want to merge with. It is run by narco-gangs. Far better that America stays a sovereign nation with defended borders while Mexico crumbles. Mexico and Haiti have no future except a downward one. The indigenous people are too indigenous.
Amen to that.
Of course, we also need a government that would actually enforce such laws.
DOA.
You nailed it. Such sappy articles tugging at my heart strings. The “authenticity” of Rep Ortiz’s life experience dazzles dufus liberals.
Why I don’t read the fish wraps
“The House bill, introduced last month by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., would protect unauthorized workers from unscrupulous employers and give 12 million unauthorized immigrants a chance for citizenship if they meet certain criteria.”
And tightening the border would also protect them because they wouldn’t be able to make it here in the first place to be taken advantage of. And how about this for certain criteria: Sneak back into Mexico so no one ever knows you were here illegally, then apply to come here. Otherwise, they should be deported and blacklisted.
I have an easy solution for him. He can tell his Compadres to stay on their own side of the river.
“Ortiz grew up in South Texas and did agricultural work with his parents. He remembers well the barriers and discrimination that he faced as a Mexican American.
“I was not an illegal immigrant, but I suffered having to live in substandard conditions, with housing that we had, working in the fields. “
How anyone lives as a child is the fault of his PARENTS, not a nation they dragged you to! AND this fool is a congressman!
(which is PROOF he never suffered ‘discrimination’!)
And guess what, Mr. Ortiz, PLENTY of White USA citizens have worked the fields and had to live just like you did.
Comes with the job! The difference between you and them, is they won’t get to be an affirmative action legislooter!
¿Cómo se dice ‘dim bulb’ en español?
“Thats fer sure...Thats fer dang sure”.
(Watched “Battleground” over the weekend about the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.)
You had a good home but you left/You’re right
¿Bulbo débil?
Tal vez, foco débil o bombillo débil. Bulbo significa una planta como tulipán.
America just doesn’t need any more illiterate, third world leaf blower operators.””
America also does NOT need any more members of MS-13.
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