Posted on 01/30/2014 6:32:30 PM PST by Altura Ct.
The House Republican leadership is trying to sell their colleagues on a series of broad immigration principles, including a path to legal status for those here illegally.
Speaker John Boehner’s leadership team introduced the principles at their annual policy retreat here. Top Republicans circulated a tightly held one-page memo titled “standards for immigration reform” toward the tail-end of a day that include strategy conversations about Obamacare, the economy and the national debt.
n the private meeting where the language was introduced, Boehner (R-Ohio) told Republicans that the standards are “as far as we are willing to go.”
“Nancy Pelosi said yesterday that for her caucus, it is a special path to citizenship or nothing,” Boehner said, according to a source in the room. “If Democrats insist on that, then we are not going to get anywhere this year.”
Boehner said the standards represent “a fair, principled way for us to solve this issue.”
The strategy marks a shift for House Republicans. In 2013, Boehner’s chamber ignored the bipartisan immigration reform bill passed by the Senate. But toward the end of last year and early this year, Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) began hashing out this approach to rally Republicans toward reform.
“It’s important to act on immigration reform because we’re focused on jobs and economic growth, and this is about jobs and growth,” Boehner said in his pitch in the closed meeting. “Reform is also about our national security. The safety and security of our nation depends on our ability to secure our border, enforce our laws, improve channels for legal entry to the country, and identify who is here illegally.”
Embracing legalization is a modest change for Republican leaders — some of them signaled openness to the idea last year. For a Republican Party that advocated “self-deportation” as recently as 2012, it’s a massive shift.
Some Republicans fear of the political fallout from immigration reform, but the proposal suggests GOP leaders are taking the long view: Republicans need to woo the booming Hispanic population to stay relevant.
At the private meeting where the proposal was unveiled, lawmakers talked about their distrust that President Barack Obama will enforce the law, according to sources inside of the room. Ryan and Boehner spoke in favor of the effort, but high-profile conservatives like Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) were more suspect of the reform push.
“Nobody, even those who want to get this done, trusts the president,” Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.) said in a phone interview Thursday evening. “And I understand it, because I don’t either.”
But legislation on some of the key components of the principles, most notably the legalization part, have not been released and it remains to be seen how the full set of principles are received by rank-and-file House Republicans — many who have been skeptical of acting on immigration reform this year.
The principles stress that undocumented immigrants will have to go through the current immigration system and complete several prerequisites. Criminals will not be eligible for legalization.
“These persons could live legally and without fear in the U.S., but only if they were willing to admit their culpability, pass rigorous background checks, pay significant fines and back taxes, develop proficiency in English and American civics, and be able to support themselves and their families (without access to public benefits),” according to a draft of the document.
A broad swath of pro-reform groups — from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the liberal-leaning America’s Voice — welcomed the principles. But one concern already being raised by Democrats and immigration reform advocates off Capitol Hill is language in the principles that call for “specific enforcement triggers” to be in place before undocumented immigrants can get on the legalization track.
That section is meant to make sure that the Obama administration — and future presidents — enforce any immigration laws that Congress may pass. One of the most prominent immigration actions from Obama has been halting the deportations of young undocumented immigrants who qualify, known as Dreamers — a move that was done without the blessing of Congress.
But Democrats and advocates worry those “triggers” will be overly restrictive — preventing millions of undocumented immigrants from beginning the process to become legalized.
“It leaves them vulnerable to deportation for God knows how long,” Kevin Appleby, the director of migration policy for the pro-reform U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in an e-mail.
Ana Avendaño, the director of immigration and community action for the AFL-CIO, also called the trigger issue a “serious concern” for the labor group. In a statement, the AFL-CIO called the principles “flimsy.”
The leadership’s principles do treat young undocumented immigrants differently, however. House Republican leaders declared that lawmakers should give a pathway to legal residence and citizenship for young immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children.
“For those who meet certain eligiblity standards, and serve honorably in our military or attain a college degree, we will do just that,” the document says.
The blueprint is also silent on whether the broader undocumented population will ever be able to apply for permanent residency — and eventually, citizenship — by using pathways that currently exist for all immigrants. The principles rule out a so-called “special” pathway to citizenship — meaning a separate track for undocumented immigrants that isn’t available to other immigrants.
The document — drafted by leadership with input from key GOP lawmakers who have been working on immigration — also makes clear that the House will not negotiate with the Senate on its comprehensive bill. In fact, GOP leadership has already begun laying out the differences between the House’s approach and the Senate’s bill.
“The problems in our immigration system must be solved through a step-by-step, common-sense approach that starts with securing our country’s borders, enforcing our laws, and implementing robust enforcement measures,” the document’s preamble reads.
The pathway outlined in the principles does not open up until the nation’s borders are secure. Securing America’s borders has long been a major issue for House Republicans — but how that can actually be accomplished was a major issue in passing the Senate measure.
The document lays out policies beyond legalization. Republicans want to implement a biometric system to track those in the nation on a visa. The GOP wants to implement a “workable electronic employment verification system.” And the principles also call for an overhaul to the legal immigration system that’s focused on economic needs, rather than family ties.
The one-page list of principles has been one of the most hotly anticipated documents in recent memory. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), one of several key senators who led the immigration reform process in that chamber, said with the House GOP leadership’s overhaul blueprint, “the door is open.
“While these standards are certainly not everything we would agree with, they leave a real possibility that Democrats and Republicans, in both the House and Senate, can in some way come together and pass immigration reform that both sides can accept,” Schumer said.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), another member of the so-called Senate Gang of Eight, praised House Republicans on moving forward on immigration reform by releasing their principles.
“And if [Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio)] hadn’t gotten control of his conference, this wouldn’t have happened,” McCain said. “So maybe there is a silver lining in the shutdown … I’ve been digging for that pony for a long time.”
Oh please. Can we stop with this line of BS? They are invited to the State of the Union Address which means they passed very rigorous security. How frightened can they be?
TREASON against the Americans
As for the shibboleth that the children of illegals shouldn’t suffer the consequences of their parents actions, by the same token they should not benefit either.
Since when do their parents - illegal aliens by admission - choose who our citizens will be?
By bringing their children here, or abusing the Constitution by having them here and claiming they are “Americans” we bow to them as the people who decide who the Americans are.
Nothing could be further from our Constitution.
There are a lot of ambiguities in this proposal.
For example, no one who has committed a crime other than illegal immigration would be eligible. But as everyone knows, 99% of illegal immigrants used fake IDs to get jobs. Would that be OK if they admitted their actions and paid a fine? How large would the fines be?
I absolutely cannot stand paul ryan. He’s a fruitcake.
We call our baby “bean.” What a cute story you clown.
Does anyone here seriusly believe that after these triggers are in place and Obama people grant citezenship that they will then not end all enforcement and sabatoge everything our side agreed to set up to get them legalized
< /S >
I think Ohio has turned insane, how do they put up with people like Rob Portman and John Boehner?
Who is considered an illegal alien for the purposes of their amnesty ideas?
Is it just for the person who entered without passing through a customs inspection (walked across a border, hid in a car trunk, arrived by sea in a cargo container)?
Does it include people who came on a non immigrant visa (student/tourist/etc) and overstayed?
Does it include people who came on a non immigrant visa (student/tourist/etc) but made a visit home before each expiration but worked while here in violation of the terms of their visa?
Does it include people like Aunt Zeituni who ‘come and go all the time’ but have deportation orders which they ignored?
I got through to a human in Boehner’s office the other day, that means not enough people are calling. Please call these people and tell them to stuff it.
The document is not ambiguous at all. It’s amnesty. Legalization = amnesty. Period.
The hoods are coming off. Many conservatives-in-name-only are fine with amnesty as long as it is DWR (Done While Republican).
How many new U.S. States = Mexico.
They don’t “put up with them.”
These people are chosen for them.
...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.
Latinos, 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]
Boehner and the rest of his conspirators hate the United States. They have not only destroyed their own careers they have also destroyed their party. But this is dwarfed by the damage they will do to the United States.
I encourage everyone to cut off the money and to change your voter registration to not Republican.
It is now 3rd part time in Texas
The GOP will fill the dustbin of history like the Whigs
This is a rolling amnesty. Many of these so-called "children" are upt to 30 years old. They will be able to sponsor their illegal parents for legal status and eventual citizenship. They will also, as American citizens be able to sponsor their siblings and grandparents who are abroad. Millions more will enter.
And what happens to enforcement when everyone is considered eligible for permanent legal status? They will be given work permits to compete legally against American workers.
Any legislation that allows the lawbreakers to stay and work here--the object of their crime--is amnesty. And they get to the head of the line compared to the 4 million intending immigrants waiting overseas for their turn to enter. They played by the rules, completed the paperwork, underwent background checks, etc. What kind of message does this send to people contemplating immigration to the US?
No mention in the principles of reducing the number of legal immigrants coming in annually. We don’t need 1.2 million legal immigrants a year.
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