Senate Republicans on that lame duck immigration reform framework ... Not so fast

(AP Photo/Tatiana Flowers, File)

Are Senate Republicans really going to speak out against the immigration reform framework presented by Senators Thom Tillis and Kyrsten Sinema that they began circulating to colleagues this week? It’s bipartisan! There’s something for everyone! It’s dead on arrival. Thank goodness.

Advertisement

As Ed noted in his post on Wednesday, Republicans must hold the line and not fall for this nonsense. Some senators are going on record to say that the blanket amnesty for Dreamers is a non-starter. Secure the border and only then will Republicans talk about immigration reform. Kevin McCarthy is on record saying that there is no action to be taken in the House on immigration until the border is secured.

Here’s a thought – secure the southern border. How do we do that? Enforce the laws already on the books. Deport illegal aliens. Turn away illegal migrants at the border. Do the things that were done in the previous administration that work. Otherwise, people around the world hear nothing but amnesty. They understand that as soon as they touch American soil, they can request amnesty. Since Biden ended the Remain in Mexico policy on his first day in office, Border Patrol no longer turns back illegal migrants to wait in Mexico until they process their asylum claim. Most are not eligible as the law is written now because most come here for jobs, a better life. That isn’t a legal reason for amnesty.

So, some Republicans are finding a backbone and saying this framework is a no-go. Democrats want to ram something through in the lame duck session. Why Thom Tillis is going along with all of this is not clear.

Advertisement

Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told DailyMail.com he would do ‘everything in his power’ to stop immigration reform from making it through the Senate.

‘There will not be immigration reform,’ said Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn.

Other senators considered potentially gettable votes claimed to have not yet read the framework. ‘I haven’t looked at it yet, no,’ said Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa. ‘I’ve started to look at it, I haven’t gotten into the details,’ said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine.

Sen. Rob Portman, another potential ‘yes’ vote told DailyMail.com he hadn’t looked at the new framework but ‘I support immigration reform, the border is obviously in crisis and needs to be tightened up.’

The Ohio Republican said that any deal would need to be ‘bipartisan’ and would need to focus on ‘expanding Border Patrol and increasing their pay.’

Asked if he’d be willing to support a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers in exchange for beefed-up enforcement, Portman declined to stake out a position. ‘I’d want to look at it altogether,’ he said.

If they don’t automatically have Portman, well, that’s not good news for the blanket amnesty activists. He’s retiring at the end of this session. If John Cornyn says there is no immigration reform, there is no immigration reform on the Republican side of the aisle. Senators Crapo (R-ID) and Bennett (D-CO) want to push for citizenship for illegal alien farmworkers. Just stop. Perhaps work visas but no citizenship. And, as usual, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre slammed Republicans.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, Sens. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, and Michael Bennett, D-Colo., are reportedly negotiating narrower legislation that follows a House-passed bill to provide a pathway to citizenship for some undocumented farmworkers.

But even Sen. Chuck Schumer would not commit to bringing forth an immigration deal while his party still holds control in the House and Senate.

‘Senators Sinema and Tillis are talking and I welcome people discussing it. It’s something you know, obviously we’d very much like to get done. And we hope that those talks come to positive fruition.

‘Why can’t Republicans work with us in a bipartisan way to get immigration reform done?’ White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre asked during her daily press briefing. ‘What we’ve seen from them is political stunts. That’s what they do […] We have come up with solutions.’

Funny. KJP keeps saying the administration has come up with solutions for the Biden border crisis yet never elaborates as to what those would be. There aren’t any but she keeps gaslighting. Few reporters bother to even follow-up on questions about border security. Media doesn’t cover the Biden border crisis, except for Fox News Channel. If you don’t watch Fox, you probably have no idea about the humanitarian crisis right on our border, moving into our country. More than 4 million apprehensions have occurred since Joe Biden took office and that doesn’t count the gotaways. I wish a reporter would ask KJP what solutions she is talking about and then watch her start flipping through her notebook for the answer.

Advertisement

The House is rushing through several bills on immigration before Republicans take back control in January.

On Tuesday the lower chamber passed on a 220-208 vote the Veteran Service Recognition Act, which would allow certain deported veterans to regain their green cards and would encourage foreign-born service members to apply for citizenship.

Later this week the House will be voting on the Equal Access to Green Cards for Legal Employment (EAGLE) Act, which would phase out per-country green card caps in favor of employment-based migration.

The White House came out in support of both bills on Tuesday, but critics say the EAGLE Act is designed to help Big Tech import foreign workers.

The chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus immigration task force is against the EAGLE Act. She said the bill helps Chinese and Indian green card applicants, shutting out Africans and Carribean people.

I like all the kerfuffles going on over this framework. It means nothing is happening with it and slows it all down. This is not good legislation and it needs to fail. C’mon, Republicans. Stop working with Democrats who are just going to screw us over again, as they did with Reagan’s amnesty deal in the 1986. Don’t fall for it again.

Advertisement

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Trending on HotAir Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement