Cartoon C/O Legalinsurrection.com
By Printus LeBlanc
Republican leadership can’t help but be its own worst enemy. The Republican Party has everything going its way. The coup attempt by the Democrats has been exposed as a fraud. The economy is improving in leaps and bounds, and the GOP is looking to pick up several Senate seats in the midterm elections. Enter “leadership.”
When the House passed the omnibus bill on September 14, it addressed many of the immigration points the President ran on. The same immigration points the President won the election on.
Division M of the bill is titled “Department of Homeland Security Border Infrastructure Construction Appropriation Act.” In it, $1.53 billion is appropriated for three sections of border fencing along Texas and California. There is also another $38 million appropriated for planning more border wall construction. It is not the full amount for the wall, but it funds part of the wall and
Sanctuary cities are also defunded. Division C is titled “Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations.” Section 554 of Division C states, “None of the funds made available by this Act under the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program may be used in contravention of section 642 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996.”
Division H is titled “Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.” Section 427 of division H states, “None of the funds made available by this Act may be used in contravention of section 642(a) of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1373(a)).”
This is a great start, it builds the wall and goes after a major problem attracting illegal immigrants and havens for illegal drug smuggling, but why does it seem like the Republican leadership is waiving the white flag? For some unknown reason, two Republicans in leadership hinted at caving to liberal demands on immigration issues last week, despite controlling the House, Senate, and Presidency.
Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.) continued his push for amnesty. Recent reports from a meeting with House conservatives revealed Ryan plans to include legislation legalizing the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in the upcoming spending deal. DACA is the program that allows illegal immigrants brought here as “children” to stay.
But gone is mention of the wall and defunding sanctuary cities. Nor is there any mention of including the RAISE Act that would end chain migration and move to a merit-based system.
Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Tex.) took E-verify off the negotiating table in a recent interview according to Politico. E-verify is the tool used to verify if someone is legally eligible to work in the country when applying for a job. Naturally, Democrats don’t want that because it will reduce the incentive for illegal immigrants to come here. Reduce, not eliminate. Why would the Cornyn give away one of the best tools to fight illegal immigration?
By putting DACA into a spending deal without getting at least the RAISE Act, border wall, and defunding of sanctuary cities the GOP leadership is setting themselves up for failure. By not putting E-verify in a spending deal, leadership is encouraging more illegal immigration. They are turning the upcoming spending vote into a vote on Amnesty.
How does the Speaker think this is going to play out in the primaries? Amnesty was passed before Obamacare repeal, tax reform, and border security. The ads write themselves.
The continual push for amnesty policies while failing to do anything else is showing the Republican base where the loyalty of GOP leadership lies.
Americans for Limited Government Vice President of Policy Robert Romano stated, “By sticking DACA amnesty on the budget, it makes it even more difficult for House Republicans to vote for, limiting what can be leveraged off of DACA, which bare minimum, should include passing the RAISE Act eliminating chain migration, defunding sanctuary cities to are allowing heroin to pour onto America’s streets, building the wall and beefing up the Border Patrol. DACA is the leverage, not the deal.”
Many fiscal conservatives went out on a limb to pass the omnibus spending bill. Putting amnesty in there would betray their trust and force them to vote against it.
Republican leadership must quit reading the 2012 RNC autopsy that recommended an amnesty approach in GOP legislation. It is the most worthless, inaccurate document ever produced by the RNC. President Trump did everything contrary to the autopsy report and won states the GOP had given up on. The voters sent you a clear message by sending President Trump to the White House and not one of the other amnesty candidates. You should listen to them.
Printus LeBlanc is a contributing editor for Americans for Limited Government
