LatinaLista — Politico is reporting that Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s architect on the latest Senate version of immigration reform, is feeling “optimistic” about producing immigration legislation this year.
He and his congressional colleague, Sen. Lindsey Graham, are scheduled to meet with the President tomorrow after a series of scheduled meetings had been cancelled.
Advocates for immigration reform were beginning to think that there was nothing to feel optimistic about with each meeting cancellation, but, as we are learning, a meeting doesn’t signify passage or introduction of the legislation.
Schumer and Graham admit they still have some big hurdles to overcome — namely, finding another Republican to sponsor the bill.
… Graham has long insisted on having another GOP co-sponsor and while Schumer said there are four or five senators in play, no one has agreed yet to get on board.
“We will not pass an immigration bill unless it’s bipartisan. I think everyone agrees with that. Everyone agrees to put a bill on the floor of the Senate and not have it pass, as happened a few years ago, is a bad idea,” Schumer said.
What’s a worst idea is to have different rules for passing immigration reform as opposed to the healthcare bill.
It’s known among everyone on Capitol Hill, from freshman to senior congressional members, along with their staff, that supporting immigration reform is as volatile and scary for political reputations as is supporting healthcare reform — only ten times worse.
The idea that a Republican will sign off and co-sponsor the bill is as hopeful or delusional as to think Republicans will finally come on board and support the healthcare bill. It’s not going to happen. Republican leaders said it wasn’t going to happen and, now, we know it’s not going to happen.
The same will be true for the immigration reform bill.
It wouldn’t be surprising to hear from the GOP wing that in order for them to support any immigration reform bill the process needs to be started all over again. By now, the American people have deciphered those words to mean “stall at all costs.”
The President didn’t buy the GOP’s underhanded tactic and has been pushing his party to deliver before the Easter Break. This time around, it’s the Latino community not buying the supposition that the only way an immigration reform bill can be introduced is in a bipartisan manner.
This is a bill, that if it’s truly reforming our current immigration policies and acknowledging the realities of what exists in Latino communities across the nation, won’t garner bi-partisan support — plain, simple and honest.
It will have to be the Democrats that champion this issue for Latinos.
Yet, it doesn’t sound too hopeful when the one Senate leader in charge of crafting the bill had to consult with Lou Dobbs and goes on record saying he won’t proceed without bipartisan support.
From this perspective, “optimism” doesn’t come close to its definition.
Comment(9)
Ramiro borja
If you think that Democrats will take on the needed immigration reform that will help 10 to 12 million people without documents get their status “regularizeded” in the light of the scars left by on them by the health care debate, then you still believe in Santa.
Note how HLS makes no raids on the undocumented workers in the multilayered Agri business consortiums and how these are represented by the same people who are the most vocal in sending us all back to wait in line for our chance to get in.
If Obama wanted to get Republican support on anything all he needs to do is assign some immigration agents to check on who is working the fields.
gunther
Some times “start over” simply means “start over.” It would be unusual to draft a bill in secret, behind closed doors, that met the requirements of most Senators. What’s wrong with open committee hearings? A free excange of ideas? A bill that embraces a wide range of views?
Indiana Bob
Good insight into this, Marisa.
This is another example of democratic spinelessness. They don’t need the Republicans, but yet they are not going until they get enough “bipartisan” cooperation. This is what they always do. And the republicans never give it to them.
A majority of Americans favor the McCain/Kennedy bill, with demands that English be learned, taxes be paid, and no criminal record, and that they do all this within 12 years.
Of course, then McCain voted against his own bill, arrrgggg….
Over and over the republicans bully the democrats. Take the war in Iraq. Democrats thought “we better vote for this or we will be called weak on terrorism”. So they vote for it and what happens? The republicans call them weak on terrorism.
If we had a democratic party with some spine, this would have been done long ago. I hated GW Bush, but this was one issue he actually understood, albeit through osmosis since he was Gov of a border state. He wasn’t intellectually curious, so I doubt it was scholarship that caused him to arrive at his position on this issue. And I think perhaps his hidden agenda was to help out his pals in business by providing a cheap labor pool, but it would have also help many more, including members of my wife’s family. And before you “nativists” start running your mouth, my wife is legal.
The “nativist’s” heads will explode, but bringing this issue to a close would really help our country in lots of indirect ways.
thanks,
Tara Murphy
Ever since Latinos betrayed the Dems in Mass. by awarding Brown, an anti-reform Republican 73% of their votes, the Latino vote has lost credibility with the dems. And as long as Gutierrez, et al. demand, insist, pressure, require, and try to strong-arm Obama into complying with their own agenda he will give immigration reform as much time as he gave it in the State of the Union address which was 33 words. Total.
Texan123
Not all Latino voters are Democrats. Many have conservative values and are devoutly Catholic.
I have often wondered why Catholic Latinos vote for pro abortion candidates. Could it be that the greed for financial gain is stronger than the desire to protect the unborn?
Karen
Re: “Latino vote has lost credibility with the dems”
You don’t speak for the Democrats, and that figure about Scott Brown isn’t true.
Nobody is strong arming Obama. He went to an NCLR convention in the summer of 2008 and promised to pass immigration reform. Nobody forced him to make that promise. Many people voted for him based on this issue, sent him money, and volunteered to work for him.
Now they are holding him accountable.
Texan123
Karen, I hate to tell you this but Obama lied. All politicians lie for votes.
The fact is that Obama can not pass immigration reform. It is up to Congress. Congress members will have to choose. Do we support foreign nationals who are here illegally and can not vote? Or do we support the U.S. citizens who do vote?
With 15 million unemployed Americans with time on their hands to call Congressmen and write letters, the reform you demand not likely to happen.
Citizens are already fuming about the way this Democratic Congress is making secret deals for votes, disregarding the taxpayers who will have to pay for all the reforms being forced on us.
If reform failed in 2007 when jobs were plentiful and taxpayers were buying homes rather than losing them to foreclosure, what makes you think it will pass at a time when we do not need more workers?
tara
@karen. i made a mistake — Obama devoted 13 words to immigration in his State of the Union. Health Care Reform and the economy are at the top of the list of priorities for America.
Marcelle Rosencranz
Reminds me of what it takes to succeed. Thank you!
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