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Posted on 05/30/2015 4:02:00 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
he most common critique of our 2016 Presidential Hopefuls comparison grid this week has been of our amnesty rating for Ted Cruz. The Texas Senator has a mixed history on the issue, but we've given Cruz our second best rating of "Very Good".
There's one thing that's crystal clear about Cruz's position on offering work permits to illegal aliens -- he passionately opposes Pres. Obama's illegal and unconstitutional amnesties.
Just this week, Cruz tweeted a response to a Hillary Clinton tweet that criticized a federal appellate court's decision to uphold the temporary injunction placed on Pres. Obama's 2014 executive amnesties. Cruz wrote, "Amnesty is wrong for America and for the rule of law. Especially when done by illegal executive fiat."
But it has been Cruz's actions in the Senate that provide the best evidence of his opposition to amnesties. Perhaps nobody has fought harder than Cruz to stop amnesties in the Senate over the last three years.
Last summer, Cruz introduced a bill that would have defunded Obama's 2012 executive amnesties and tried to attach it to a continuing resolution that funded the federal government for several months. Cruz even threatened to shut down the government over the issue. "I think we should use any and all means necessary to prevent the president from illegally granting amnesty."
When that CR was about to expire, setting up the massive funding debate at the end of 2014, Cruz insisted that the bill funding most of the government for the rest of FY2015 include a defund of Obama's amnesties. Cruz went as far as raising a point of order objection against the so-called "CRomnibus" bill in an effort to defund the amnesties.
But what has many of our activists concerned about Cruz is an amendment that he offered to the Gang of Eight's amnesty bill in 2013. The amendment would have granted work permits to most of the 11 million illegal aliens once the feds had successfully completed the biometric exit-entry system, built 700 miles of fencing consistent with the Secure Fence Act of 2006, doubled the number of Border Patrol agents, and quadrupled the number of technology resources along the Southwest border, including cameras and motion sensors.
The border security requirements were so lofty that many in the media characterized the amendment as a poison pill since it contained much more border security than most Congressional Democrats could stomach. He also offered another amendment that would have kept the work permits in place, but would have removed the "path to citizenship" for most of the 11 million.
"The amendment that I introduced removed the path to citizenship, but it did not change the underlying work permit from the Gang of Eight," Sen. Cruz said.
Cruz has said on dozens of other occasions that he supports work permits for illegal aliens. So why the generous rating on our Presidential grade cards?
Our reasoning centers around a March 2015 MSNBC story, "Ted Cruz hasn't ruled out legal status for undocumented immigrants". A post on our Facebook page highlighting one of Cruz's earlier quotes expressing his support for amnesty prompted the story.
MSNBC was trying to catch Cruz in a flip-flop, but campaign spokeswoman Catherine Frazier best summarized his position.
"I think his main priority is dealing with the border security component and making sure that we know who is coming into the country and making sure that we have control over who is coming into the country and then we can deal with what to do with the people who are already here."
Most politicians, especially on the Republican side, answer the "amnesty" question from reporters with "we have to secure the border first".
But in Cruz's case, we know from his amendment exactly what he wants to do along the border -- 1) 700-miles of double-layered fencing, 2) massive increases in manpower and resources, 3) a full biometric entry-exit system.
Only after all three actions are in place, Frazier said, Cruz would "deal with what to do with the people who are already here". Notice, she doesn't say he'll automatically grant amnesty and dole out work permits. She simply says he'll consider it once all the improvements are in place.
In rating Ted Cruz, we've taken all of these actions into consideration. As Roy pointed out in his blog earlier this week, we expect Hopefuls to improve in certain categories as time goes on, and we allow them to improve. We believe that Cruz's actions in the Senate trying to stop Pres. Obama's unconstitutional amnesties combined with his most recent comments makes him Very Good on opposing work permits for illegal aliens.
Because of his past statements, we'll be watching Cruz very closely, as we will with all the other Hopefuls, to see if he's consistent on his position. His current rating on amnesty may be the most volatile of all the ratings of all the Hopefuls, but we think his initial rating is the right one.
Despite Cruz's VERY GOOD rating on amnesty, he earns an overall Worker-Protection Immigration Grade of only a "C". (Sadly, though, that C-Grade ties for third best grade among the 20 Hopefuls being graded.)
Remember, you can view ratings for all the Presidential Hopefuls at NumbersUSA.com/2016, and don't forget to click on each candidate's name to take a closer look at some of their quotes. And keep sending in those comments to elections2016@NumbersUSA.com. We had an earlier issue with that email address, but it is now working.
We’ve got to get the border and the situation under control first.
While I don’t love the idea of increased H1b visas, it is something that can be controlled. Its an honest straightforward position and anyone who says they’re going to get rid of every last illegal is lying.
Legalization without path to citizenship would seem to mean time-limited work permits like H1-B’s, not green cards with no time limit. But no one has actually spelled out what legalization actually means. My perception is that he means something between H1-B’s and green cards - lifetime work permits without the option for citizenship, unlike green cards, which do offer that option.
Like President Eisenhower’s Operation Wetback.
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| I, for one, welcome our new Cybernetic Overlords /. | ||
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PS, about another candidate, Rand already flip flopped on that one years ago. He actually ran on ending birthright citizenship...lol
This looks to be part of NumbersUSA broader “Worker-Protection Immigration Grade” cited on this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3294905/posts?page=3
Here is a breakdown of the candidates by overall grade:
A
Santorum
B-
Walker
C
Cruz
Perry
C-
Carson
Christie
Kasich
Jindal
D+
Bush
Fioriana
Huckabee
Paul
Webb
D-
O’Malley
Rubio
F
Clinton
Graham
F-
Biden
Sanders
Warren
“But no one has actually spelled out what legalization actually means.”
It means amnesty. What else could it possibly mean?
Its time for Freepers to understand that all the GOP candidates are going to let the 11 million illegals who are already here stay in some shape, fashion or percentage. Its up the voter to figure out who will actually really truly secure the border and then attempt to get rid of as many illegals as possible. Cruz will let most of them stay, Paul will let all of them stay, Walker will let all of them stay, Bush will just keep the border open and let more in. Fiorina will probably do the same as will Huck and Carson and Perry. Trump will build the wall and probably really secure the border just to say he did it and if you believe him he is going to try to get rid of at least the really bad characters and the newly arrived. That’s the best anybody can hope for.
If you think anybody running for President is going to actually secure the border and get rid of any significant percentage of the illegals already here I have some swampland for sale in Florida. :-)
A) I have a better chance than Don Trump of being the next president (B) No American politician is going to let the media film millions of people (men, women, children, teens, oldsters, etc.) being loaded onto cattle cars for the trip back to Mexico & Central America. It’d look waaaaay too much like The Trail of Tears or the Jews, gays, Gypsies and unionists headed to the gas chambers or Japanese-Americans going to concentration camps. Forget it. President Reagan, Eisenhower, Roosevelt, Grant, Jackson or whomever, were they alive and in power today, wouldn’t do it.
OK so if Trump isn’t going to be President then chances are its Ted Cruz or Scott Walker. The 11 million illegals here can breathe a sigh of relief. Cruz likely will pretty much secure the border. Walker not in a million years. So I guess I’d go with Cruz.
Does he get a beautiful set of Ginsu knives for placing 2nd?
Cruz is for amnesty—so I don’t see how much credibility an organization can have that rates him “very good” on opposing amnesty.
Rand Paul's immigration speech...The Republican Party must embrace more legal immigration.[Posted on 03/19/2013 7:04:07 AM PDT by Perdogg]
Unfortunately, like many of the major debates in Washington, immigration has become a stalemate-where both sides are imprisoned by their own rhetoric or attachment to sacred cows that prevent the possibility of a balanced solution.
Immigration Reform will not occur until Conservative Republicans, like myself, become part of the solution. I am here today to begin that conversation.
Let's start that conversation by acknowledging we aren't going to deport 12 million illegal immigrants.
If you wish to work, if you wish to live and work in America, then we will find a place for you...
This is where prudence, compassion and thrift all point us toward the same goal: bringing these workers out of the shadows and into being taxpaying members of society.
Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers.12 million more people assimilating into society. 12 million more people being productive contributors.
Rand Paul calls on conservatives to embrace immigration reformLatinos, should be a natural constituency for the party, Paul argued, but "Republicans have pushed them away with harsh rhetoric over immigration." ...he would create a bipartisan panel to determine how many visas should be granted for workers already in the United States and those who might follow... [and the buried lead] "Imagine 12 million people who are already here coming out of the shadows to become new taxpayers...[Posted on 04/21/2013 1:52:42 PM PDT by SoConPubbie]
[but he's not in favor of amnesty, snicker, definition of is is]
How does that solve anything? They can stay here, raise families, undermine US citizens for jobs. Anyone who does not want to STOP and REVERSE the invasion of the US is not helping.
The Numbers USA research and what they said about it is telling. They don't think any of the choices are all that terrific....I agree.
If any candidate actually came out and said "US jobs for US citizens" and "send home everyone here illegally and any non-citizen whose job can be done by a citizen would find that to be very popular, I suspect.
Links?
How about your own article?
“Cruz has said on dozens of other occasions that he supports work permits for illegal aliens.”
As far as I'm concerned, any form of legalization is a travesty. Enforcement needs to be stepped up. GWB deliberately dragged his feet on enforcement. Obama's slacking off even more. If a new law needs to be passed it's one making the immigration enforcement chief independent of the president, much like the Federal Reserve.
Ever hear of the “draconian” Operation Wetback during the Eisenhower administration that is pointed out as being severe? It had work permits/guest workers through-and-through. Surprised? A work permit and amnesty are apples and harmonicas.
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