Here’s hoping.
‘“It is important for us to show that we need a new direction in the party.”’
We need to call our GOP congresscritters!
I hope so. Even a member of ISIS would be preferable to McCarthy
Prayers up!
Both Labrador and McCarthy are pro-amnesty. Labrador is somewhat more grudging in his support, but that support is still there. Either one as M.L. gives us an amnesty bill.
go get Raul!......
I have trouble believing it matters. I don’t see the GOP allowing an anti amnesty as leader. They have and are selling out this country. And they are going to continue doing so.
Anyone here know what job Raul Labrador had before he became a Congressman?
Immigration lawyer!
Since Kevin McCarthy has a F-minus grade on immigration from Numbers USA, I guess Labrador qualifies as a slight improvement.
Trojan horse?
Heard this the other day. He’s a great dancer.
why does he need 218 votes? That’s half of the House. He’s running for a GOP seat so shouldn’t he need just half (plus one) of the GOP votes?
The Template--California Proposition 187 (1994)
California's Proposition 187 was submitted to the voters with the full support of then Republican governor Pete Wilson. It essentially blamed undocumented immigrants for the poor performance of the state economy in the early 1990s. The law called for cutting off benefits to undocumented immigrants: prohibiting their access to health care, public education, and other social services in California. It also required state authorities to report anyone who they suspected was undocumented. Status: The law passed with the support of 55 percent of the voters in 1994 but declared unconstitutional 1997.
The law was killed in 1999 when a new governor, Democrat Gray Davis, refused to appeal a judicial decision that struck down most of the law. Even though short-lived, the legislation paved the way for harsher immigration laws to come. On the other hand, the strong reaction from the Hispanic community and immigration advocates propelled a drive for naturalization of legal residents and created as many as one million new voters.
• The Worst: Arizona SB 1070 The Arizona Act made it a misdemeanor for an undocumented immigrant to be within the state lines of Arizona without legal documents allowing their presence in the U.S. This law has been widely criticized as xenophobic and for encouraging racial profiling. It requires state authorities to inquire about an individual's immigration status during an arrest when there is "reasonable suspicion" that the individual is undocumented. The law would allow police to detain anyone who they believe was in the country illegally. Status: The law was signed into law by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer on April 23, 2010. But it has generated a swirl of controversy and questions about its constitutionality. A federal judge issued a ruling that blocked what critics saw as some of the law's harshest provisions. House: 35-31 (4/12/2011)
• Following Arizona's Footsteps: Georgia HB 87
The controversy over Arizona's immigration law was followed by heated debate over Georgia's own law. HB 87 required government agencies and private companies to check the immigration status of applicants. This law also limited some government benefits to people who could prove their legal status. Status: Although a federal judge temporarily blocked parts of the law considered too extreme, it went into effect on July 1st. 2011. House: 113-56 Senate: 39-17
• Verifying Authorized Workers: Pennsylvania HB 1502
This bill, which was approved in 2010, bans contractors and subcontractors employ undocumented workers from having state construction contracts. The bill also protects employees who report construction sites that hire illegal workers. To ensure that contractors hire legal workers, the law requires employers to use the identification verification system E-verify, based on a compilation of legally issued Social Security numbers.
• A Spin Off of Arizona: Utah HB 497 Many states tried to emulate Arizona's SB 1070 law. However, most state legislatures voted against the proposals. Utah's legislature managed to approve an immigration law based on a different argument. Taking into consideration the criticism of racial profiling in Arizona, Utah required ID cards for "guest workers" and their families. In order to get such a card workers must pay a fee and have clean records. The fees go up to $2,500 for immigrants who entered the country illegally and $1,000 for immigrants who entered the country legally but were not complying with federal immigration law....
• The Most Comprehensive: Florida HB-1C
Florida's immigration law prohibits any restrictions on the enforcement of federal immigration law. It makes it unlawful for undocumented immigrants within the state to apply for work or work as an independent contractor. It forbids employers from hiring immigrants if they are aware of their illegal status and requires work applicants to go through the E-verify system in order to check their Social Security number. Status: effective since October 1st, 2010
• The Hot Seat: Alabama HB 56
The new immigration law in Alabama is considered the toughest in the land, even harder than Arizona's SB 1070. It prohibits law enforcement officers from releasing an arrested person before his or her immigration status is determined. It does not allow undocumented immigrants to receive any state benefit, and prohibits them from enrolling in public colleges, applying for work or soliciting work in a public space. The 2011 law also prohibits landlords from renting property to undocumented immigrants, and employers from hiring them. It requires residents to prove they are citizens before they become eligible to vote. The law asked every school in the state to submit an annual report with the number of presumed undocumented students, but this part, along with others, were suspended by federal courts.
LATINOREBELS.COM-—May 23, 2013
Puerto Rican-born Republican Rep. Raúl Labrador Supports Statehood Bill
Rep. Raúl Labrador, a Republican from Idaho, is one of three voting members of Congress to be born in Puerto Rico. Labrador was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, while Democrat José Serrano was born in Mayagüez and Democrat Nydia Velázquez was born in Yabucoa.
Since Labrador is the only Republican in Congress with birth ties to Puerto Rico, his views about the latest statehood bill presented by Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi (D), a non-voting member of Congress, matter. Getting Labrador to offer his full support of H.R. 2000 would make a big difference in Pierluisi’s push to make Puerto Rico the 51st state of the Union.
This week, Labrador, who was that supportive of last year’s status plebiscite on the island, shared his thoughts about Pierluisi’s bill, said he would vote YAY to H.R. 2000, but he won’t be that involved in getting fellow Republicans to vote YAY with him.
This is what Labrador told Puerto Rico’s El Nuevo Día:
“I have a lot of things to do. But if the bill gets to the floor, I would vote in favor of it,” Labrador said in Spanish. According the END, Labrador thought that Pierluisi’s bill was a “good idea.”
Pierluisi’s bill has 34 co-sponsors, including Pierluisi. A handful of those co-sponsors are Republicans. Besides Pierluisi, Serrano is the only other official of Puerto Rican descent who is a co-sponsor of the bill. Here is the full list of co-sponsors:
1)House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland
2)Republican Rep. Don Young of Alaska (yes, the “wetback” guy)
3)Democratic Rep. José Serrano of New York
4)Republican Rep. Peter King of New York
5)Democratic Rep. George Miller of California
6)Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida
7)Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida
8)Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel of New York
9)Democratic Rep. Henry Waxman of California
10)Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio
11)Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel of New York
12)Eni Faleomavaega, the non-voting Delegate to the United States House of Representatives from American Samoa
13)Eleanor Holmes Norton, the non-voting Delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the District of Columbia
14)Democratic Rep. Corrine Brown of Florida
15)Republican Rep. John Mica of Florida
16)Democratic Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida
17)Democratic Rep. Chaka Fattah of Pennsylvania
18)Democratic Rep. Ron Kind of Wisconsin
19)Democratic Rep. Joseph Crowley of New York
20)Republican Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart of Florida
21)Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva of Arizona
22)Madeleine Bordallo, the non-voting Delegate to the United States House of Representatives from Guam
23)Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota
24)Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida
25)Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge of Ohio
26)Republican Rep. Aaron Schock of Illinois
27)Gregorio Sablan, the non-voting Delegate to the United States House of Representatives from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
28)Democratic Rep. Ted Deutch of Florida
29)Democratic Rep. Jared Polis of Colorado
30)Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson of Florida
31)Democratic Rep. Federica Wilson of Florida
32)Democratic Rep. Joe Garcia of Florida
33)Democratic Rep. Carol Shea-Porter of New Hampshire
If passed, H.R. 2000 would authorize Congress and the White House to establish an admission process for Puerto Rico as the 51st state, if a majority of Puerto Rican voters choose statehood. Pierluisi said the following about Labrador, “Although Labrador has not joined the bill so far, I will not assume that he wouldn’t do so in the future.” Labrador, because he is a Republican, is seen as key representative if he becomes more vocal in his support. The same goes for Illinois Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D), who right now believes the bill is slanted towards a statehood option.