Republican Immigration Critic Gets Slapped Down(By Cruz & Lee as lobbyists buzz)[2013]

National Journal ^ | May 14, 2013 | Fawn Johnson

[ObamahatesPACoal]

The most potent illustration that Republicans have shifted their attitudes on immigration came Tuesday morning when all GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected an amendment from Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., to severely limit the number of legal immigrants allowed into the country.

The committee’s overwhelming ‘No’ vote shows that the battle for Republicans’ souls on immigration has shifted away from groups that want to reduce the influx of foreigners, like the Heritage Foundation, NumbersUSA, and Fairness for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), toward free-market groups that applaud increased immigration, such as Americans for Tax Reform and the CATO Institute.

(SNIP)

But it was a big surprise that those rejecting it included hard-core tea-party senators who are almost certain to vote against the immigration bill--Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Mike Lee, R-Utah, John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa.

Lobbyists were buzzing about the vote as the committee broke for lunch. "Can you believe it? That was amazing," said one lobbyist. "It was a smackdown. That was the defining moment," said another.

(SNIP)

Sessions found himself all alone in defending the argument that has been used most often by the scrappy grassroots groups NumbersUSA and FAIR. His amendment would have limited the total immigration to the United States to about 23 million over 10 years, not including the current undocumented population.

“We don’t want to invite people to America that can’t find work and go on welfare and on dependency,” he said.

Those same arguments held considerable sway in stopping the progress of similar immigration bills in 2006 and 2007. NumbersUSA and FAIR also managed to unseat several Republicans who embraced immigration reform, most notably the moderate Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah in 2008.

[Praxeologue]

So Cruz did not oppose LEGAL immigration. That is his position today.

[Yosemitest]

Source:

... Cruz even indicated he would back deporting those who came here illegally -- another proposal he has usually rebuffed.

"I would enforce the law," Cruz said, explaining that he would first deport criminals without proper papers.
"Federal immigration law provides that
if someone is here illegally and is apprehended,
that they should be sent back to their home country."

Cruz has recently begun stressing that he believes the number of undocumented immigrants would decrease with strict border enforcement.
...

"The only people I'm under fire from are reporters who want to throw rocks," Cruz said in Harlan.
"Once we've demonstrated that we can solve the problem, then we can have a conversation about what to do about whatever people remain illegally."

The Rubio campaign ...
"He has attempted to muddy the waters," Cruz said on the stage. "Where there was a battle over amnesty
and some chose, like Sen. Rubio to stand with Barack Obama and Chuck Schemer
and support a massive amnesty plan.
Others chose to stand with Jeff Sessions and Steve King and the American people
and secure the border."

Let's get VERY CLEAR on TED CRUZ and Immigration:

Immigration

As the son of a Cuban immigrant, Sen. Cruz celebrates LEGAL immigration.
He has championed measures
to secure the border,
reform the LEGAL immigration system,
and uphold the rule of law.

Americans, and particularly Texans, have witnessed the harmful effects of an unsecure border,
endangering the lives both of citizens and those who enter illegally.
President Obama's policies have encouraged drug smugglers, child abusers, murderers, and other dangerous criminals to traffick immigrant children into our nation under life-threatening conditions.
In the summer of 2013 we witnessed a humanitarian crisis at our Southern Border, propelled by PROMISES OF AMNESTY FROM THE WHITE HOUSE .
Immigrants deserve a better system in which they will be welcomed to the United States safely and with dignity.

As a critical step to protecting families and inviting more people to enter LEGALLY, in 2014, Sen. Cruz proposed legislation TO PREVENT OBAMA FROM ILLEGALLY EXPANDING AMNESTY .
The House acted to solve the ongoing crisis and passed bills that closely mirrored Sen. Cruz’s proposals,
but regrettably the Senate DemocRATS REFUSED TO ALLOW A VOTE on the measures.

In 2013, Sen. Cruz proposed amendments to the “Gang of 8”bill that would
strengthen border security,
expand green card opportunities,
increase high-skilled “H1B” visas, PREVENT ILLEGAL ALIENS FROM RECEIVING WELFARE BENEFITS ,
and enforce the rule of law.

ALSO from On The Issues :

Ted Cruz on Immigration

End Obama’s illegal amnesty via Congress' checks & balances
Q: How to respond to the split within your party on immigration?
What you're saying is
that the Republicans should vote to fund the governments for all departments except one:
no funding for the Department of Homeland Security,
which handles immigration, rescinding President Obama's executive action,
and if he vetoes that, he's responsible for shutting down the department.
The problem is
that's almost exactly what you did with the government shutdown across the entire government in 2013 with ObamaCare,
and it backfired badly on your party.

CRUZ: All across this country, Republicans campaigned, saying:
if you elect a Republican Senate, we will stop President Obama's illegal amnesty.
We need to HONOR WHAT WE SAID .
We should use the constitutional checks and balances that we have TO REIN IN THE ABUSE OF POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE.
Step #1 is IF the president implements this LAWLESS AMNESTY, that THE SENATE WILL NOT CONFIRM ANY executive or judicial nominees.


Defund amnesty; and refuse any nominees until rescinded

Q: How would you rescind President Obama's executive action on immigration?

CRUZ: We should use the constitutional checks and balances that we have TO REIN IN THE ABUSE OF POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE .
Step #1 that I have called for is the incoming majority leader should announce IF the president implements this LAWLESS AMNESTY, that THE SENATE WILL NOT CONFIRM ANY executive or judicial nominees,
other than VITALl national security positions,
for the next two years,
UNLESS AND UNTIL the president ENDS THIS LAWLESS AMNESTY .
That is AN EXPLICIT AUTHORITY given TO the Senate.

Q: Are you saying the Senate should REFUSE TO CONFIRM the president's new nominee for attorney general?

CRUZ: We have to REIN IN the executive.
And step #2, we've got is THE POWER OF THE PURSE,
and we should FUND ONE AT A TIME the CRITICAL PRIORITIES of the federal government,
but ALSO USE THE POWER OF THE PURSE TO ATTACH RIDERS .


No path to citizenship for 1.65 million illegals in Texas

When discussing what to do about the 1.65 million ILLEGAL immigrants living in Texas, . . . CRUZ again said
HE DID NOT SUPPORT A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP FOR ILLEGAL immigrants living in America, . . .

Give police more power to ask about immigration status

Cruz accused Dewhurst of using his position as head of the Texas Senate to KILL A BILL last year that would have given police more power to ask anyone they detain about their citizenship status--a charge Dewhurst denied.
Both agreed that the US has FAILED TO SECURE ITS BORDER with Mexico,
and said they OPPOSE AMNESTY for ILLEGAL immigrants and the Obama administration's new directive
allowing many young illegal immigrants brought to the US as children to be exempted from deportation.


Boots on the ground, plus a wall

Border wall: James and Leppert OPPOSE A WALL,
Dewhurst and CRUZ tout "boots on the ground" AND A WALL IN SOME PLACES .


Triple the size of the Border Patrol

CRUZ on immigration: Wants to TRIPLE [the]SIZE of Border Patrol.
Says Dewhurst supported in-state tuition for kids of ILLEGAL immigrants.
Dewhurst: I have always been against an amnesty program.
"If they want to be a citizen, they ought to go home and reapply."
Dewhurst says he was against tuition for children of illegal immigrants.


Strengthen border security and increase enforcement

Ted Cruz has worked to STRENGTHEN BORDER SECURITY and help ensure that America remains a nation of laws.
Among other efforts, he has worked on efforts to INCREASE PENALTIES for felons WHO ENTER THE COUNTRY ILLEGALLY .
Ted authored a U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief on behalf of 10 states in Lopez v. Gonzales,ILLEGALLY .

[Yosemitest]

Let's take a close look at what TED CRUZ said at that time about his amendment to the "Gang of Eight amnesty/ citizenship bill" :

Cruz In 2013 On Providing Legal Status To Illegal Immigrants ( 2:14 )
Published on Nov 12, 2015

U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, Hearing, 5/21/2013:
"And I'd like to make a final point to those advocacy groups that are very engaged in this issue
and rightly concerned about addressing our immigration system
and, in particular, about addressing the situation for the 11 million who are currently in the shadows.
If this amendment is adopted to the current bill, the effect would be that those 11 million under this current bill would still be eligible for RPI status.
They would still be eligible for legal status and indeed, under the terms of the bill, they would be eligible for LPR status as well so that they are out of the shadows,
which the proponents of this bill repeatedly point to as THEIR principal objective to provide a legal status for those who are here illegally to be out of the shadows.
This amendment would allow that happen, ...

"But what it would do, is it would REMOVE the pathway to citizenship, for REAL consequences that RESPECT the RULE OF LAW,
and that treat LEGAL Immigrants with the fairness and respect they deserve,
And a second point to those advocates that are so passionately engaged,
In my view, if this committee rejects this amendment,
and I think everyone here views that it is quite likely that this committee will indeed reject this amendment,

In my view that decision will make it much, much more likely that this entire bill will FAIL in the House of Representatives.

I don't want immigration reform to fail.
I want immigration reform to pass.
And so I would urge people of good faith on both sides of the aisle,
if the objective is to pass common sense immigration reform that SECURES THE BORDERS, that improves LEGAL immigration, and that allows those who are here illegally to come in out of the shadows;
then we should look for areas of bipartisan agreement and compromised to come together.
And this amendment,
I believe, if this amendment were to pass, the chances of this bill passing into law would increase dramatically."

The intent was TO EXPOSE the "ESTABLISHMENT REPUBLICANS" AND THE DemocRATS for their dishonesty.
THEY were trying to LEGISLATE the ILLEGAL ALIENS a PATHWAY TO CITIZENSHIP.

TED CRUZ was trying to amend the Bill so as TO STOP THEM,

by REMOVING the pathway to citizenship,
for REAL consequences that RESPECT the RULE OF LAW,
and that treat LEGAL Immigrants with the fairness and respect they deserve,

[zeestephen]

That has always been Cruz’s position.

He has never supported a reduction in LEGAL immigration.

Almost one of every six people present in the USA is foreign born or is the American born child of an immigrant.

About 60 million residents in 2014, which is the most recent Census survey.

And about 80% of them vote Democrat when they turn 18 (the kids) or become naturalized citizens (the parents).

Politically, I think the game is over for Conservatives.

A large segment of the Republican Party treats us with contempt and betrayal, and the immigrants are natural born Socialists.

[V K Lee]

I fear I must agree. By the time TRUMP is taking an oath on the BIBLE, there will be nothing of our AMERICA to stand -not even the picked clean bones. Only by the Grace of God’s Miracle can we be saved. Not certain that He might see fit to work that fast.

OUR COUNTRY might not be here a year from now.

[zeestephen]

Last month, in the Fox News Debate, Megyn Kelly asked Cruz if he would issue “temporary” work permits to illegal immigrants, which is what the Gang of Eight Amnesty bill calls for.

Cruz refused to answer.

Cruz said the question was a distraction from more important immigration issues.

[Praxeologue]

the immigrants are natural born Socialists.

In that sense, we don't want western Europeans who have grown up under soft-socialism, which might lead one to postulate that the Immigration Act of 1965 was favorable legislation. Unfortunately. Asian immigrants who never knew a nanny state (and that goes for the PRC as well) vote Democrat in the high '70s.

[Yosemitest]

We need MORE people like TED CRUZ administering the RULE OF LAW in the government !

[Reno89519]

Secret’s out. Liar Cruz has been playing people.

[nhwingut]

Sessions was left standing alone fighting for the American workers.

Not surprising.

[zeestephen]

I would be happy to accept highly skilled, highly creative, highly productive, self-supporting, tax paying Socialists from any country.

Instead, we import millions and millions of low skill, low education immigrants who, as a group, collect almost as much in government benefits as they pay in taxes.

Even the claim that 35% of immigrants have a four year college degree, a higher percentage than home grown Americans, is a complete fraud.

Most of those “college educated” immigrants got their degrees at foreign universities that are not accredited in the USA, and they were employed by their own governments, so they have no work experience in a competitive economy. They are working as $10-hour sales clerks at your local mall.