House GOP set to nuke amnesty bill with “blue slip”
posted at 9:55 pm on May 29, 2007 by Allahpundit
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And irony of ironies, it may be none other than St. John of Tucson who empowered them to do so.
The trump card conservatives may hold is a constitutional rule that revenue-related bills must originate in the House. The Senate immigration measure requires that illegal immigrants pay back taxes before becoming citizens, opening the door to a House protest, dubbed a “blue slip” for the color of its paper.
House Republicans used the same back-taxes mandate for a blue-slip threat that derailed last year’s immigration conference. The new Senate bill still must survive two more weeks of voter scrutiny and contentious amendments, but several conservatives already are lying in wait for the Senate to “make the same mistake twice,” as one House GOP aide put it.
“If we get an opportunity to do it, believe me, we’ll do it,” the aide said. “I think it’s going to be a matter of who will get there first. A number of people in the House are dying to be fingered as the person who killed [the Senate bill].”…
The back-taxes provision that could trigger the blue slip came from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who continues to take heavy fire on the presidential hustings for supporting the immigration deal. McCain introduced a back-taxes amendment after a conference call in which Republican bloggers mentioned reports that the Bush administration had asked that this year’s bill not force the very costly process of tax collection among illegal immigrants.
Remember the kerfuffle last week when news broke that Chertoff, not the Democrats, insisted on pulling the back-taxes obligation from the bill? I guess St. John figured putting it back in would help soothe the savage base as it hisses at the mention of his very name. (Pssst — it won’t.) Didn’t he realize he was handing the House a blue slip by doing that? And did Bush and Chertoff realize that they were taking the blue slip away by pulling the provision? The reason they gave for stripping it from the bill was because it would have been too hard to calculate back taxes for illegals. That wasn’t a credible excuse to begin with. It’s less credible now.
It takes a majority vote of the House to actually use the blue slip for nuking purposes so we’ll need help, appropriately enough, from the Blue Dogs to pull it off. Exit question one: Given that it was right-wing bloggers who cornered McCain about the back-taxes provision, how much thanks do we owe them? Exit question two: If the blue slip is duly served, won’t the Senate just strip the back-taxes provision and send it back?
Update: Well, whoopee-dee-do!
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Any member who votes to keep this thing alive will never get support from me again.
Mr. Bingley on May 29, 2007 at 10:02 PM
Unfortunately, this may just mean they’ll remove the back tax requirement.
fusionaddict on May 29, 2007 at 10:10 PM
It’s not like we’d get the “Blues” to help get a majority to kill it anyhow…
Psycotte on May 29, 2007 at 10:12 PM
Anything that slows down this out of control crazy-train is a good thing…. The closer we get to the election the less likely either side will try to pass such a risky bill.
TheBigOldDog on May 29, 2007 at 10:14 PM
Anyone know what the LA Times article was?
Sammy316 on May 29, 2007 at 10:17 PM
Whatever happens, I’m about through supporting the republicans, no more money from me, that’s for sure. Yeah, I know, the democraps will keep power and make things worse. But if a conservative party were to form as a result of all the pain of democrap rule, that would be the best outcome. To hell with the republicans and the democraps.
Zorro on May 29, 2007 at 10:17 PM
I simply can’t believe this comment from the LA Times:
What genius inserted this brilliant (not sarcasm) provision into this system? It makes so much sense! It’s an admission that illegal immigrants create an undue and unfair burden on the taxpayer. Now, just force them to pay for their hospital bills and traffic violations and we’re on our way to being square.
thedecider on May 29, 2007 at 10:18 PM
Time works against the amnesty supporters. I believe they tried to ramrod this bill through Congress because they knew it wouldn’t stand up to scrutiny. Slow this thing down enough and more and more politicians who support it will start to get cold feet.
Try the blue slip approach, try anything to delay passage and this bill stands a good chance of faltering under its own weight.
Shadow on May 29, 2007 at 10:22 PM
I would say that cynical evaluation is probably quite accurate.
INC on May 29, 2007 at 10:23 PM
I am doing all I can by contacting Senators about this bill. I pray that it does get “blue-slip” treatment.
It really doesn’t matter what happens to the bill when it come to Republicans getting reelected in 2008. The damage has been done. I doubt there will be 20 GOP Senators and 150 GOP Representatives in Congress in 2009.
Helloyawl on May 29, 2007 at 10:35 PM
Raising fees on legal immigrants is about the stupidest thing that the government could do, right now (next to granting amnesty to 12 million illegals). It’s already painfully obvious that the current system punishes those who play by the rules while rewarding those who don’t. Why make it even more so?
SWLiP on May 29, 2007 at 10:38 PM
Damn, how many more variations before Congress finaly comes out of de-nial and just plain admit they have major doo-doo on their faces AND THEY TRIED TO SCREW US?
auspatriotman on May 29, 2007 at 10:39 PM
Wow, this is awesome.
Taking the back taxes provision out of the bill would give at least some senators cover to reverse their position and oppose the bill. But putting it in gives the house a chance to kill it.
Definitely time to raise the profile of this aspect of the bill.
thirteen28 on May 29, 2007 at 10:40 PM
DEATH to the Amnesty Bill!!!
tickleddragon on May 29, 2007 at 10:45 PM
I’m hoping this bill doesn’t get passed, and gives the GOP an issue(possibly as big as Iraq) to seperate them from Bush going into election?
any chance some “strategery” was at play here?
jp on May 29, 2007 at 10:45 PM
How about we mail Congress toilet paper for this “piece of sh**” bill?
I hope the House Republicans do it! Call their bluff!
SouthernGent on May 29, 2007 at 11:01 PM
Yeah. Either way, we lose.
Labamigo on May 29, 2007 at 11:07 PM
Won’t one of the senators just pass it to a representative to sponsor it in the House first?
pedestrian on May 29, 2007 at 11:23 PM
Built Wall.
Enforce Laws.
Fire Politicians.
profitsbeard on May 29, 2007 at 11:30 PM
Actualy, either way they put the tax thing in, it will affect taxes..
Tax amnesty? or forcing back taxes? its still a tax/money bill…
House could kill it either way.
Romeo13 on May 29, 2007 at 11:36 PM
This is a typo right? Am I upposed to feel like those are actually a hardship?
Pam on May 29, 2007 at 11:47 PM
Maybe strategery by those getting cold feet after getting a response from their constituents…anything to kill it now.
I read somewhere that Kyl is really catching he!!, and deservedly so.
Anyone know if any voting reform amendments were in this PoS bill?
Seems like many of the nutballs in Congress wanted this bill…it would have been a perfect time to require (federally) providing proper ID at the polls prior to voting. If this were done, then the “path to citizenship” provisions would likely have been tougher and required, and the new defeatocrat voting bloc would have been lessened.
91Veteran on May 30, 2007 at 12:06 AM
President Bush, you stupid asshole, when are you going to learn: YOU CAN’T OUT-PANDER THE DEMOCRATS! ™
/pardon my French
urbancenturion on May 30, 2007 at 1:09 AM
Could it possibly be that Bush used this bill to bribe the democrats into funding the war in Iraq and now that he has the Iraq war spending bill he wants he is screwing Kennedy?
doriangrey on May 30, 2007 at 1:23 AM
If you honestly believe that, I have a nice bridge in NY that I can sell you.
F15Mech on May 30, 2007 at 1:29 AM
I absolutely expect that A: nothing is ever going to be done concerning immigration reform because too many influential people are making too much money off the system the way it is now. B: too many people are allowing emotion to drive their actions and C: 50% of the population is below the median intelligence level and not likely to make an intelligent decision on the matter anyway because they aren’t given good information and are for the most part incapable of independent analysis.
crosspatch on May 30, 2007 at 2:43 AM
I don’t think I’ve ever seen in my lifetime a case where more legislator are simply ignoring the very people who voted them into office. The backlash is building fast on this one and if the congress critters don’t believe it or see it, they certainly will come the next election. I for one will be paying careful attention to who is pushing this bill and who votes for what. I just hope the nation is not sold out before we have a chance to do something about it.
P. James Moriarty on May 30, 2007 at 5:27 AM
Well, Maybe any Congress-critter can “blue slip” it… But it takes a majority to force it out.
And that ain’t gonna happen. There aren’t more than a hundred and fifty people in the Houste that will oppose this on principle. Maybe a few more that will oppose it because they think it is too strict, and a few more that will want to add earmarks… But the majority will still want to get it passed.
No Hope left in my little corner of the multiverse.
LegendHasIt on May 30, 2007 at 5:36 AM
They’re doing a fine job selling this boondoggle, what with Chertoff saying we want to execute illegals, W himself saying we “don’t want what’s good for America”, and now Linda Chavez calling us all xenophobes and racists. Lovely political instincts these “conservatives” have.
HerrMorgenholz on May 30, 2007 at 6:22 AM
Thanks to HA for keeping the heat on.
The amount of complaints registering with the senators must be having an effect. Why else would Bush complain about us.
Keep contacting, be respectful, be consistant —maybe, just maybe…
roydee43 on May 30, 2007 at 6:33 AM
Geez, Helloyawl, you think the real Republican count is going to go up?
BacaDog on May 30, 2007 at 7:17 AM
I have 2 truly pathetic senators from my state…..a flaming liberal and a RINO (or…another flaming liberal). I write…they flip me the bird. Bush thinks that polluting the country with this illegal immigration bill will be his legacy….it will all right…as the Republican Jimmy Carter. How proud his mother will be.
lynnv on May 30, 2007 at 7:54 AM
P James Moriarty
I can it was in the early 60’s
EricPWJohnson on May 30, 2007 at 8:08 AM
Must be a fellow Ohioan.
HerrMorgenholz on May 30, 2007 at 8:57 AM
Those fees are being imposed on people who play by the rules. Why punish them while we’re about to reward those who don’t?
SWLiP on May 30, 2007 at 10:24 AM
It’s actually St. John of Phoenix, but perhaps there are only so many times that bird of Presidential ambition can rise from the ashes. Tucson means “black base”, referring to the volcanic mountains. But it could also refer to the mood towards him of his former supporters, so maybe - fine.
eeyore on May 30, 2007 at 10:43 AM
This immigration situation is really ticking me off. Got a call from the GOP commitee for my contribution and I just laughed. I told him they will get the money when the Republicans in office grow a set of balls and act like Republicans.
ChrisIansNana on May 30, 2007 at 11:17 AM
NOT EVEN MARRIED???
Do they have ANY idea how many will claim to be engaged?
12 mil? 20 mil? 40 mil? Not even close.
.. welcome 60 MILLION + new illegal aliens, come one, come all.
shooter on May 30, 2007 at 4:45 PM
Could it possibly be that Bush used this bill to bribe the democrats into funding the war in Iraq and now that he has the Iraq war spending bill he wants he is screwing Kennedy?
doriangrey on May 30, 2007 at 1:23 AM
Ya know I was wondering the same thing. I thought the Dems laid down a little to quickly on the Iraq funding. LOL That would be great. Dubya puttin it to the Dems.
sonnyspats1 on May 30, 2007 at 4:54 PM