In The Aggregate - Arizona's political blogs » deportation

Boehner: Border Security & Majority of GOP Essential to Pass Immigration Reform in the House

Speaker John Boehner — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 23:00:51 +0000

WASHINGTON, DC – House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) made the following remarks on immigration reform at a press conference earlier today:

“Listen, I think this immigration issue’s been kicked around this town now for 15 years. That’s why I said the day after the election it was time for Congress to do its work.

“ I’m increasingly concerned that the White House and Senate Democrats …would rather have this as an issue in the 2014 election, rather than to resolve it. It ...

Senate Rejects AmendmentsTo Strengthen Immigration Reform Bill

John Walker — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 17:00:19 +0000

Senate Refuses to Build Border Fence and Tighten Visa Checks

In a clear sign that the Gang of Eight’s immigration reform bill is intact, the Senate Tuesday rejected two key amendments designed to strengthen the bill.

The first amendment, rejected 54 to 39, would have required construction of a two-tier border fence before illegal immigrants could be granted legal status and move to permanent residency.

The second amendment, rejected 58 to 36, would have required full implementation of a biometric ...

Sen. Ted Cruz Speaks in Opposition to Gang-of-Eight Immigration Bill

David Leeper — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:45:39 +0000

June 11, 2013: Clear, positive, and constructive, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) speaks on the Senate floor in opposition to the 1076 pages of Gang-of-Eight immigration bill as it is currently written.

As the Obamacare bill did for Kathleen Sebelius, the Gang-of-Eight bill grants enormous discretionary authority to Janet Napolitano to grant waivers and exceptions without approval or review by Congress. That makes this bill yet another abdication of Congress’ Constitutional authority via a bill so complex that our senators, representatives, and ...

Rubio fades, Ted Cruz shines

Christopher Cook — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:00:45 +0000

Nine months ago, I would have told you that Rubio was a shoo-in to be one of the front-runners for the GOP nomination in 2016. Brilliant, charming, affable (not to mention young and handsome), deeply committed to conservative principles and living the American Dream. And he is, by and large, all of those things.

That being said, his recent activities in the Gang Of Eight have done him tremendous damage among the base. Go on to Facebook and Twitter and check ...

We’re from the government and we’re here to help (great stuff from the People’s Cube)

Christopher Cook — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 21:45:23 +0000

More trenchant work from the People’s Cube. This stuff becomes less satire and more samizdat every day!

The Administrative state is here to help:

How is this next one not true, exactly?

Same question here:

America’s Struggling Workers: The Real Victims of Immigration Reform

John Walker — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 14:15:33 +0000

Gang of Eight Bill Doubles the Number of Temporary Workers

While American workers struggle with record unemployment, the immigration reform bill under consideration in the Senate threatens a surge of new competitors in a stagnant job market.

A new study of the reform bill by the Center for Immigration Studies found that in the first year after enactment, the bill would admit nearly 1.6 million more temporary workers than currently allowed.

“After that initial spike,” the study said, “the bill ...

Illegal immigration problem is OUR fault, not the fault of the immigrants

Mike DeVine — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 19:00:21 +0000

GOP stupid to allow de facto open borders, not regularization

Not building a fence and otherwise securing the border for 25 years, while our inaction in enforcing laws on the books against undocumented entry and visa overstays communicated our collective acquiescence to long-term residents that violated those laws, have economic and moral consequences that wails against “amnesty” don’t address.

This former Democrat was for a border fence before border fences were cool.

Before my Summer of 2001 conservative epiphany and conversion to ...

Breaking: Senate Rejects Border Security Amendment

John Walker — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 17:00:36 +0000

Gang of Eight Sticks Together in Key Vote

In the first key vote on immigration reform, the Senate rejected an amendment Thursday that would have required border security before legalization for 11 million illegal immigrants.

The amendment, introduced by Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, would have prohibited the granting of legal status to illegal immigrants until the Obama administration certified effective control of the border for six months. The measure failed 57 to 43.

Arizona Senators John McCain and ...

Speaker Boehner On ABC’s Good Morning America: Economic Growth Is Our Number One Priority

Speaker John Boehner — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 19:45:34 +0000

On ABC’s Good Morning America, Speaker John Boehner told George Stephanopoulos that economic growth is Republicans’ “number one priority.” He also discussed the illegal leak of classified information on national security programs, the importance of addressing our national debt, his concerns with the Senate immigration bill, and more. The full transcript is here and several key excerpts are below:

Boehner: Economic Growth & Jobs Are “Our Number One Priority”:

“[Jobs] really is our number one priority. … So we’re focused on fixin’ our tax ...

Senator Sessions Rebukes the Gang of Eight

John Walker — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:20:50 +0000

Immigration Reform: A String of Broken Promises

Members of the Senate and House are engaged in a frenzy of activity to salvage the floundering effort to pass immigration reform.

In the Senate, the effort is focused on finessing the impossible conflict between legalization and border security. In the House, the focus is on passing immigration reform in a piecemeal manner instead of one comprehensive bill.

While the outcome is far from certain, Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama continues the ...