Posted on 07/17/2013 5:53:29 AM PDT by cotton1706
Big Business, Senate Republicans and Democrats backing immigration reform have a target in their crosshairs: House Republicans.
Senators like John McCain (R-Ariz), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) met with tech giants such as Microsoft, Google and Intel, and pro reform groups like FWD.us to discuss a coordinated campaign to target more than 100 House Republicans on reforming the nation’s immigration laws when they are at home in their districts over the next month, according to sources familiar with the meeting.
Graham suggested getting people to target Republicans at town hall meetings. Schumer said he wanted pastors giving sermons about the need for immigration reform.
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), his former House colleague, should bring a negotiated immigration compromise to the floor even if it doesn’t have the support of the majority of Republicans, according to sources present.
McCain urged the group to push for the Senate bill by discussing its component parts — but not mentioning the overall bill.
Graham said that there are between 30 and 40 Republicans who are staunchly opposed to the Senate bill — but warned that number cannot grow.
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) took a hard line, saying any bill must contain family reunification and a pathway to citizenship.
Schumer, according to people familiar with the meeting, said the group will meet in 10 days to review what large corporations are doing to help put pressure on these Republicans.
It’s not too often that you hear about Republicans and Democrats privately discussing targeting each other to support legislation, but it’s clear that senators see their comprehensive immigration reform effort hitting stiff resistance in the House. McCain suggested to the group that they’re losing the messaging battle to immigration opponents.
A list of these House Republicans was circulated. It includes respected immigration voices like Reps. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Homeland Security Chairman Mike McCaul (R-Texas).
“In an effort to grow support in the House for immigration reform, members of the Gang of Eight met with supporters of immigration reform and discussed how to spread the word, both why this is good for members’ districts and the country,” said Matt House, a spokesman for Schumer.
The discussion was pointed and detailed.
Schumer, who has spearheaded immigration reform, told the business groups that they need to join with Senate Democrats and Republicans to convince a majority of House Republicans to approach Boehner and ask him to abandon his pledge to follow the Hastert Rule — a standard that would prohibit him from bringing a bill to the floor that doesn’t have the support of the majority of House Republicans. Schumer said he hopes these Republicans would tell Boehner that they “hope yes, vote no” — meaning they want the bill to pass, but can’t be seen supporting it.
Schumer also discussed having pastors give sermons across congressional districts in August about the need for comprehensive immigration reform. Schumer said that Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) needs to hear from agriculture interests in his district about the need for a comprehensive bill.
Schumer has done his research. He named specific House Republicans and the political dynamics in their district that might push them toward supporting immigration reform.
He mentioned Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), who has Disney in his district. He talked about Rep. Frank LoBiando, who has the New Jersey Shore tourism industry. Rep. John Kline (R-Minn.), a close ally of Boehner, has universities and agriculture. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-Utah), who is Mormon, might feel pressure from the Mormon church.
Also in attendance were Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) from the Gang of Eight. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) did not attend the meeting. Alex Conant, his spokesman, said “We have a badly broken immigration system that is in dire need of reform, and Sen. Rubio worked hard to produce and pass the best proposal possible in a Democrat-controlled Senate. The Senate’s work has created an important opportunity for the House to advance reform further, but they should be given deference to decide their own way forward.”
The GOP leadership of the House believes that nearly all Republicans oppose the Senate bill.
”The House will not take up the Senate immigration bill. There are many issues related to immigration reform on which the business community, religious groups and House Republicans can find common ground, but advocating for the House consideration of the Senate immigration bill is simply a waste of their time and resources,” one House GOP leadership aide said.
The House should delay dealing with immigration reform until the second session of this congress. Put the fear of elections into all these legislators. Because as time goes, by support will drop in the Senate as well, and that is McCain, Shumer and Graham's fear. The opportunity will be lost forever.
Unfortunately for us, the leadership in the House is weak and pliable.
What we are fighting. It looks like the amnesty lobby is hoping to turn House Republicans in the fall. Don’t stop putting pressure on.
so the turncoats from the gang of eight are now attacking their own party?
The RNC had better cast these guys out. They are obviously democrats.
“Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), his former House colleague, should bring a negotiated immigration compromise to the floor even if it doesn’t have the support of the majority of Republicans”
Arizona—how could you give us both McCaniac and Flake?
I believe this is a big, big issue.
GOP you are on the wrong side.
Either fight back as a party, or stand aside and let a new party be formed.
Now.
“Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), his former House colleague, should bring a negotiated immigration compromise to the floor even if it doesn’t have the support of the majority of Republicans, according to sources present.”
Yeh do that and drive the final stake in the GOP’s heart. Republicans are ticked off enough now ,that will drive them away for good. If the GOP negotiates an amnesty with the Senate I’m done.
Flipflop RINOsare killing the Republican Party. They need to strip the R and add the D and be booted. Of course politiians like McCain and Graham will change parties to suit their needs and pocketbooks. We need term limits to prevent guys like this from raping the American people.
That means that patriots will have to show up and cheer on these targeted conservative House members, letting them know that voters in their districts are supporting their stance against GOP sell-outs, Big Business, lobbyists, and Democrats.
“Graham suggested getting people to target Republicans at town hall meetings.”
Great campaign ad material. Graham is encouraging attacks on members of his own party to placate the corporatists in the Open Borders Lobby.
This is the narrative. They are using the Democrat meme to cover the real reason this is being pushed.
Absolutely. I've sent a fax to my rep, to Boehner, and to Cantor trying to let them know just what you posted.
So far, I think they're listening, but like this article suggests, the other side has a lot of clout.
We need to keep up pressure if we hope to beat this bill back.
We must not let the Trayvon Martin sideshow distract us from focussing on this illegal alien amnesty issue that will destroy America. The Democrats and RINOs are not letting the Trayvon crisis go to waste and we have to fight as though our nation depends on it.
We conservatives may be 30% of the population, but we have very few friends in DC.
Let’s see now.....
Microsoft, Google and other high-tech companies would rather NOT train American citizens to work at the jobs they create. Those left-leaning companies would prefer to hire and train NON-Americans. Hmmm......? Why is that?
Al Sharpton! Where are you when we NEED you?
Yeah the government stirring riots and setting up a tip line to target and harass a private citizen is unworthy of our attention. /s
Maybe you have limited ability to deal with more than one issue but that’s your problem unless its genetic.
It’s good to know that there are a few Republicans out there who refuse to join Chuckie Schumer’s Useful Idiot Republicans Club with McCain and Graham.
They are intended assassins of this nation as we know it.
Interesting to see that Rubio is the only member of the gang to cut and run now that the bill has passed. Now he is just hiding under his desk on this issue. What a POS.
Stop calling the House procedure the “Hastert” rule. Call it the “Pelosi” procedure. Did she ever bring legislation to the floor that was supported by a minority of her party but by a majority of republicans? Give her the credit.
The second day in a row you’ve posted that to someone, why? It’s not like he hasn’t got a good cause to say that, or that he’s saying other things aren’t important. He’s just saying this bill is the biggest threat to us at this pont. He’s giving the same sentiment put up here: http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/05/are-we-distracted-by-scandals-while-democrats-walk-away-with-the-immigration-amnesty-prize/
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