3. MYTH: “THE ‘IMMIGRATION REFORM’ DEBATE WILL BE A FULL AND OPEN LEGISLATIVE
PROCESS.”
Fact: Just as in the Senate, where the sponsor of the bill negotiated in secret for months
with lobbyists and special interests, it has been reported that the House “deal” is already
being negotiated behind the scenes.
According to Politico, “top GOP lawmakers” are seeking the support of Democrat Luis
Gutierrez and House leadership staff meeting in secret with business groups and
technology trade organizations - who advocate for unlimited foreign labor - “so they
have buy-in to the process.” (Politico, Jan. 23, 2014)
House leadership is meeting with corporate elites like Mark Zuckerberg and the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce but, there have been no reports of meetings with our nation’s
law enforcement officers who have requested to be heard. (CBS DC, Sept. 18, 2013,
The Washington Post, Jan. 24, 2014)
While the Speaker has ruled out a House-Senate conference on the Senate bill, no one
has ruled out going to conference with the Senate on piecemeal bills, which will
inevitably result in the Senate bill, as noted by Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in November:
“Reid and Schumer have already said they don’t care what the House does, just get to
a conference and they’re just going to ram through the Gang of Eight bill. That will
basically put more pressure on the Speaker to basically put it on the floor. You’re
looking at going into a conference that doesn’t give you any chance of having
conservative policy enacted in the end. So why would we want to step into that
minefield?” (Oct. 16, 2013)
o “We’re just happy to see action so that we can get to a conference that can
ultimately produce a bill this year, legislation this year, that can be sent to the
president.” (Senator Bob Menendez, Jan. 26, 2014)
o “I think that John Boehner will conference with the Senate. Why wouldn’t he?
He’ll have a lot of pressure from his members now that the election is getting
closer.” (Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Dec. 21, 2013)
o “We have always said on that score that the speaker is the speaker, and any way
he wants to bring the bill to the floor, in pieces or in big chunks or whatever it is,
we just Want to see legislation come to the floor so that Congress can act upon
that legislation, the House can, and send it to the conference table with the
Senate.” (House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Nov. 21, 2013)
o “Get us to conference. In a conference, we can negotiate the notion of bringing
o “When | talk to my Republican friends, [they tell me] all ofthe parts Will lead to
o “Just pass something, then we’ll goto conference with it.” (Senator John McCain,
all those bills together.” (Sen. Bob Menendez, Nov. 18, 2013)
the full package.” (Rep. Luis Gutierrez, Nov. 2013)
Oct. 31, 2013)
o “We would prefer a big comprehensive bill but any way the House can get there
is okay by us. If they pass individual, smaller bills they will get agglomerated.”
(Sen. Chuck Schumer, Aug. 2013)
MYTH: “A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS SUPPORT IMMIGRATION REFORM.”
4.
Fact: So-called “immigration reform” (amnesty for illegal immigrants and a large increase
in foreign workers) is overwhelmingly opposed by the American public and opposition is
growing.
I Only 3 percent of Americans think immigration reform is a priority. (Gallup, Jan. 15,
2014)
Only 12 percent of centrist voters strongly support “providing illegal immigrants with a
path to citizenship even though they have broken the rules.” 38 percent of centríst
voters strongly oppose. (Esquire-NBC News, Oct. 15, 2013)
55 percent of Americans support a decrease in legal immigration and only 28 percent
support an increase. {FoxNews, April 2013)
0 60 percent of likely voters strongly believe that American companies should try harder
to recruit and train unemployed Americans instead of hiring foreign Workers. (Pulse
Opinion Research, Aug. 15, 2013)
0 While the majority of Iower- and middle-income voters, political moderates, and
conservatives oppose increases in immigration, the Wealthy, politically Well-
connected, and liberals support increases in immigration. (Rasmussen, Jan. 17, 2014)
o Pew Research Center and CBS polls this year found that over 60 percent of
Americans want the current legal immigration levels either held constant or
reduced. Tellingly, Rasmussen found that support for an increase was skewed
towards upper-income Americans earning over $200,000. (Daily Caller, May 17,
2013)
0 62 percent of Americans think legalization should come only after the border is
secured, and only 5 percent actually believe the government would do so if
immigration reform passed. (Rasmussen, Oct. 2013)