I don’t know if this all just Kabuki theater. They have the votes to pass it, so some Senators are allowed to vote against it to appease their constituents. Maybe, Rand Paul is voting against this bill on principle and the aforementioned political calculus was never taken into consideration. I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I am growing cynical about things.
I don’t know if this all just Kabuki theater.
It's Kabuki theater. Not just with Paul but with every Republican/Conservative politician, regardless of whether they claim to support or oppose immigration reform.
Exhibit A is the crickets chirping about the fact that the unions - GOVERNMENT UNIONS - that cover the different immigration agencies have come out strongly AGAINST the measure because the agencies don't have the capacity or capability to handle that kind of volume without resorting to rubber stamping applications.
FoxNews article from over a MONTH AGO can be found
here
Palinkas says the bill doesn’t address the pressure he claims is put on adjudication officers to rubber stamp applications instead of conducting diligent case reviews. He says it fails to fix the “insurmountable bureaucracy” which often prevents USCIS officers from contacting and coordinating with ICE agents in cases that should have their involvement, and doesn’t do enough to address the problem of student visa overstays.
Not only that, but there's
THIS article from Breitbart where the union official says that rubber stamping is already underway.
"These practices ... guarantee that applications will be rubber-stamped for approval, a practice that virtually guarantees widespread fraud and places public safety at risk," Palinkas said in a statement.
...
According to the UCCIS, 99.2 percent of applications for final judgment have been approved since April, and nearly 292,000 illegal immigrants have been given temporary legal status. In addition, the agency has only processed 60% of the applications received since April.
But apart from these articles - which hit more than a month ago - I've heard absolutely nothing on the subject. Including from Republican/Conservative politicians who claim to be against immigration reform.
The above is damning. Isn't it? Or am I missing something? Why isn't it front and center in the debate?