Posted on 03/25/2009 9:38:23 AM PDT by GOPGuide
House Democrats are laying the groundwork for another major immigration debate later this year, despite the risk that it could prove politically destructive for their party.
Moving broad legislation that would put millions of illegal immigrants on a path to citizenship seemed politically impossible until fairly recently and may still end up too hot for Congress to touch.
Yet Obama sent a signal this month to Hispanic Democrats that he is still committed to the cause and that he plans to host a White House immigration summit before the end of May. That has bolstered the hopes of the legislation’s biggest advocates on Capitol Hill.
“In a sense we’ve been given the green light to have more robust discussions about this,” House Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) said.
“The signal was clear to Congress that we can be instrumental in getting things going,” Becerra said of the March 18 meeting with Obama. “Now, from the practical side, the question is, How do we set the table to move this forward?”
Drafting the legislation may end up being the easiest part. Finding enough support when the economy has near-double-digit unemployment and violence across the U.S.-Mexico border dominates the airwaves is likely to make legalizing millions of illegal immigrants a hard sell.
“If you’d picked any issue that’s not on the front-burner right now, you’ve picked it,” said Sen. Jon Kyl (Ariz.), who was among those Republicans who backed the failed proposal in the 110th Congress. “Nobody’s thinking about it because we’ve got all these emergencies on our hands. Let’s get these emergencies resolved and then we can turn to other things.”
Nonetheless, Becerra is optimistic. He said the most immediate task is to formulate a strategy for legislation ahead of Obama’s summit, and to begin discussions with Republicans who joined with Democrats in 2007 to support the legislation that crumbled under the weight of conservative backlash.
One of those key Republicans, Rep. Jeff Flake (Ariz.), said he would be on board, perhaps again teaming up with Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus’s (CHC) immigration task force, to sponsor the House version of the comprehensive bill.
“I expect to be pushing for it,” Flake said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who did not bring the issue up last Congress, appears to be throwing more support behind the initiative this time. Pelosi recently became one of the first non-Hispanic members to attend a CHC forum on the human cost of workplace immigration raids, a practice she called “un-American” in its current implementation.
“What I said was separating parents from their children — ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] raids that separate parents from their children in the middle of the night — are un-American, and I stand by that,” the Speaker reiterated last week.
But Pelosi later added that she was hopeful that a comprehensive immigration bill could be considered by the House this year.
To supporters of comprehensive reform, moving a bill in 2009 is not just preferable, but a political necessity.
“That’s not what you do in an election year,” Flake said. “You’ve got to do it in an off-year.”
But many believe reviving the issue is a losing strategy for Democrats, and for Obama.
“You know, as a Republican, I would love to see them try and jam it through this year,” said Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), who has worked on immigration bills with more enforcement-minded, conservative Democrats in the past. “Politically, I don’t think there’s a worse issue for them to jump on right now.”
Brady and many other Republicans said that, throughout large swaths of the country, the dynamics have not changed since the failed effort of 2007 — when conservative talk radio hosts helped kill the legislation by persuading their listeners to jam phone lines on Capitol Hill with calls objecting to the legislation.
Far more than the House, the Senate will determine whether the political wherewithal exists for passing — or even debating — a major immigration overhaul this year.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is supportive of the so-called comprehensive immigration reform bill, according to a Reid spokesman, and Reid has said he hopes to pass a bill before the end of the year.
“He believes it is important that we move quickly to pass reform to fix our broken immigration system that is tough on people who break the law and practical to implement,” said spokesman Jim Manley. “The bottom line is, he is ready to move a bill when a bill is ready for him to move.”
Between the health problems of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), the retirement of Sen. Mel Martinez (R-Fla.) and the tough reelection campaign facing Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) — just to name a few obstacles — questions remain about who could carry the immigration torch in the upper chamber, even if there were momentum for it.
At the same time, the growing number of House Democrats from conservative districts could complicate even that chamber’s efforts.
Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.), a Blue Dog Democrat who has been the subject of fierce attacks from the Republican reelection arm over his party’s immigration platform, is skeptical. He’d prefer to see legislation with more enforcement measures.
“It all depends on what their proposal includes,” Barrow said. “As I’ve said in the past, what we should be doing is focusing on [employment verification] and securing the borders. And I think the rest will take care of itself.”
Why is it I feel thats how it will happen.
Obama will “vote present”
;)
Look at all these traitor Arizona Republicans, and they didn’t even need to interview the King Traitor, McCain.
12 million Acorn members!
12 million new Democratic voters! You betcha they are drooling for that. With 12 million new voters, the Democrats can screw up all they like and still win in landslides.
The demotards are just drunk with their power and arrogance. It will ultimately be there downfall.
We just have to remember NEVER try to work with them again. Once we have destroy their power we need to make sure they never get in power again.
If multi trillion dollar deficits, multiple crooked cabinet members, unprecedented power grabs, bailouts of every incompetent Wall Street organization, a new AWB, cap and trade which will cost EVERY US household an average of $1800 a year, rising unemployment, and socialized medicine don't do it, nothing will.
Yet you say you'll get behind such legislation.
Would you consider this an example of discharging your duties as the peoples' representative in a straightforward and honest manner, Flake?
Easier to stop the legislation with Obama in the WH than McCain, with JSM, the GOP would get the blame even though The Democrats control Congress.
Governor Palin and/or Governor Jindal should call a press conference and specifically ask “Which of the representatives voting ‘yes’ actually read the entire bill?” and the obvious “Why would we want to do this when unemployment is rising among American citizens?”
If this passes I’ll leave the country.
Feel free to hold me to that promise.
I believe you’re correct. Between the democrats, who know how they’ll benefit from any normalization of illegals, and the ‘my party right or wrong’ republicans, such legislation would be a shoe-in.
I’ll be following ya! This is insane!
“What I said was separating parents from their children — ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] raids that separate parents from their children in the middle of the night — are un-American, and I stand by that,” the Speaker reiterated last week.
Hey Queen Pelosi, if they’re separated it’s by choice. The whole family can go back to Mexico.
I wish someone in the GOP would show some leadership.
Am I the only one who is fighting mad?
Really, when does this nightmare end?
“That’s not what you do in an election year,” Flake said. “You’ve got to do it in an off-year.”
Bring it on Flake...no one is going to FORGET your RHINO role, on-year or off-year.
join www.numbersusa.com then make a fight.
I agree with your sentiment but the reason it hasn’t is the pain involved in these decisions have not got to us yet. IT will!!!
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