Posted on 11/06/2013 8:21:32 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
The AFL-CIO launched a major television ad campaign on Wednesday, taking House Republicans to task for the stalled work on immigration reform.
The ads will target GOP members who live in districts with large Hispanic populations and is part of a broader effort by the labor movement to push the House into taking action.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on Tuesday said Republicans would pay a price at the ballot box if immigration reform runs aground in the House.
“If they block immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship and strong workers’ protections, House Republicans are risking their political future. Some are risking their jobs in the upcoming midterm elections. And all are risking the long-term prospects of the Republican Party,” Trumka said.
The AFL-CIO television ads will run in Spanish in Atlanta; Bakersfield, Calif.; Denver and Orlando, Fla., — all congressional districts with large Latino populations. In addition, the ads will also be broadcast in English in the Washington, D.C., area.
The ad buy is seven figures, and there might be more in the works, according to Trumka.
“It’s going to be over a million dollars. This is the first phase. Who knows? It may go more. We may need more, a second phase or a third phase. We are willing to do what it takes to move Republicans and get this bill moving,” Trumka said.
The Senate passed comprehensive legislation over the summer, but House Republicans have rejected that bill in favor of a piecemeal approach.
House Republicans are considering a series of smaller bills to deal with immigration and are placing emphasis on the need to secure the border. Many House Republicans are also opposed to a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, which Democrats say is non-negotiable.
The union ads take shots at some Republicans by highlighting some of their controversial statements about immigration reform and immigrants.
One ad has Reps. Steve King (R-Iowa) talking about immigrants “hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert” while Paul Broun (R-Ga.) says “these illegal aliens are criminals, and we need to treat them as such.” Those statements play over several patriotic images in the ads, including Latino students, or families in church.
A voiceover concludes the ad, saying, “When you listen to what the Republicans say about immigrants, it makes you wonder if they believe in this country as much as we do.”
The AFL-CIO also plans to start a voter contact program this week in nine congressional districts held by Republican House members. Some of those targets include Reps. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), Joe Heck (R-Nev.), Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) and Daniel Webster (R-Fla.).
“We don’t want a political issue. We want a solution. But if they can’t get off their hind ends and make something happen, then they have to understand that, when election time comes around, we are prepared to throw everything we have into it and make them learn that lesson,” said Tom Snyder, the AFL-CIO’s immigration campaign manager.
Proponents of immigration reform legislation have stepped up their lobbying efforts since the end of the government shutdown. On Tuesday, the Chamber of Commerce brought 50 small-business owners from across the country to storm Capitol Hill in support of immigration reform.
That followed a massive fly-in trip of more than 600 activists, which was organized by the Chamber, the tech industry’s FWD.us, the National Immigration Forum and the Partnership for a New American Economy, which was co-founded New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
President Obama is trying to keep the focus on immigration as well, and on Tuesday met with a group of business CEOs to talk immigration reform. That meeting is part of the White House effort to build business pressure against Republicans.
Trumka said that the labor federation’s ads are meant to spark action from Republicans.
“Can we harden them? Well, how much harder can you get than not moving an inch? What else can they do, say ‘Hell no’ instead of ‘no?’ ... And we are going to continue to push them until they move and give this bill a vote, which will pass overwhelmingly and they know it,” Trumka said.
Nothing one sided about this piece.
So the union wants 40 million illegals to get amnesty and compete for jobs in this economy? Huh?
Have the unions stopped even pretending to be working for the interest of their members?
yup...the unions leadership is all about dues to support their fatcat 1% lifestyles and golf days....while the rank and file sits around on unemployment....
Exactly! Are these idiots really that stupid or just insane?!!
Where are their jobs going to go?
Smells like Sarah’s favorite cookies to me!
Croney Capitalist macaroons!
What they want is 40 million new dues payers as their members are basically unemployed.
They want to expand unions to the unemployed so this makes sense.
Yeah, we need more foreign workers to take jobs away from Americans and depress wages. The union bosses could care less about their members.
Try about a million a year.
“House Republicans are risking their political future,” Trumka said.
The Democrats are just worried for the wellbeing of the GOP.
:-)
Rand Paul’s immigration speech[but he’s not in favor of amnesty, snicker, definition of is is]
03.19.13 | Hon Sen Rand Paul (KY)
Posted on 03/19/2013 7:04:07 AM PDT by Perdogg
...The Republican Party must embrace more legal immigration.
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.
trumpka and his henchmen belong in jail. Period. Thieves and liars, killers and mutilators, intimidators and thugs. Thereb is no place anymore for this union maliciousness that wants to control the workplace to perpetuate its own corrupt leadership who get wealthier and wealthier as they nake their rank and file poorer and poorer.
Glad you keep posting it.
We have an actual unemployment / underemployment rate of 25% and he wants to bring in more low skilled people to suck on the welfare teat.
We are at the tipping point.
“AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on Tuesday said Republicans would pay a price at the ballot box if immigration reform runs aground in the House.”
Whereas if the Republicans acquiesce to 11 million more Democrat voters there won’t be any more ballot boxes needed!
Those 11 million illegals waiting to come out of the shadows and pay taxes? They can be found hanging out with the 7 million healthy young Americans just dying to sign up for expensive health insurance on-line.
Union leaders are dumb. Every Mexican will work for less wages and never join a union. And now they’ll get free healthcare.
Note that supposedly pro-business groups are working with the largest UNION to push Illegal Alien Amnesty
Big Business is just Socialist
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