Posted on 01/07/2011 11:53:54 AM PST by markomalley
An avid illegal immigration foe, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) will not continue as the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee's Immigration subcommittee.
Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) announced his selection for subcommittee chairman on Friday, and California Rep. Elton Gallegly (R) was chosen to head the Immigration and Enforcement panel.
King, who served as the ranking Republican on the Immigration subcommittee since 2007, was selected as vice chairman of the panel.
He has long been an outspoken foe of illegal immigration and has been viewed as the successor to former Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) as the party's lead anti-immigration proponent.
In 2006, King went to the House Floor and built a model of a concrete border fence that he suggested should be electrified.
We could also electrify this wire with the kind of current that would not kill somebody, but it would simply be a discouragement for them to be fooling around with it. We do that with livestock all the time, King said at the time.
On Thursday, the Iowa Republican introduced a bill to eliminate anchor babies.
The bill, formally named the Birthright Citizenship Act of 2011, would bar children born on United States soil to illegal alien parents from automatically becoming citizens.
Kings bill would alter the 14th Amendment to the Constitution that declares, All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.
Kings measure would change the amendment to require that at least one of parent of a child born in the U.S. be a citizen.
A Judiciary committee source refrained from commenting on King's relegation to vice chairman but explained that other ranking members of subcommittees did not ascend to chair their panels.
They did, however, take subcommittee chairmen positions on different Judiciary panels - with the exception of outspoken conservative Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas.)
For his part, Gallegly, the incoming head of the Immigration and Enforcement subcommittee intends to hold his first two hearings on oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) worksite enforcement and the E-Verify employment screening program.
We are a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws, Gallegly said. Most of my district casework concerns helping legal immigrants. Like our ancestors, immigrants who come here legally want to be American citizens, with all the responsibilities that go with it. It is unfair to those who put in the time and effort to immigrate here legally to allow illegal immigrants to break in through the back door.
The answer to illegal immigration is fairly simple," he said. "First, we must enforce our laws and secure the border. Second, we must remove the magnets that encourage illegal immigration. Finally, we must remove the benefits that make it easy for them to stay.
Vice Chairman works for me!
Republicans are idiots. They are either evil or stupid, there isn’t any other explanation for it.
I am not an immigrant and my parents weren’t and their parents weren’t... this whole “nation of immigrants” stuff is crap
A lot of republicans are socialists just like Obama and Bush A and B.
Passed over because he is anti-illegal invader of some other reason?
“Republicans are idiots. They are either evil or stupid, there isnt any other explanation for it.”
Both true but there are other possibilities. Some love power. Some are liberal. Some just want to be loved. Others are bought and paid for.
The article seems to indicate that Gallegly is a good choice. Have you heard otherwise?
I just found my favorite for 2012.
Gallagly’s district covers Ventura - that’s long been a heavy agricultural area, which means it has a high population of Mexican/Latin American field workers, etc. It’s a diplomatic choice...what does that tell you?
Republicans are idiots. They are either evil or stupid, there isnt any other explanation for it.
I agree. King would have been perfect as the comittee chair.
The GOP is still too weak on Illegal Alien Amnesty...Illegal Aliens all need to be deported. If the GOP continues to pander to La Raza, MECHA, LULAC, and all the other Hispanic KKK groups.....I will no longer vote GOP.
Secure the Border, Deport the Illegals
The Feds need to give the States the legal right to deport illegals as they see fit. Then we won’t need to worry what happen in DC.
Gallegly has been on the immigration subcommittee since the mid-90s, when Lamar Smith was Subcommittee chairman. I think he will do fine, and I think he will work with Steve King. He is not an open-border guy in any way.
“He is not an open-border guy in any way.”
That’s good. Now let them control illegal immigration. Nobody has done much yet.
I have no worries about Elton at all.
CORRUPT whores also fits.
King would have been far better. The GOP is afraid to have an aggressive, knowledgeable person in this position. They must be afraid that this will hurt them with Hispanics. The GOP is blowing it big time.
I spoke to Steve King at a Christmas Party. Everyone thought he would be the chairman, including Steve. I don’t like this one bit. The GOP leadership is corrupt and full of RINOs.
But as a silver lining King will be vice. He will definatly be a force. He is NOT a pushover(also King’s district may be done away with(Iowa LOST 1 Congressional Seat) and his possible “replacement” (Latham) is kinda tight w/ the new Speaker))! Look to Steve to be in a future GOP Presidential Cabinet or the US Seante.
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