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For those puzzled by the recent thrusts and feints on our border crisis, here is a helpful primer:
Democrats blame the urgent humanitarian crisis at our border on an obscure 2008 sex trafficking bill. But, they refuse to change the bill.
President Obamas DACA order in 2012, protecting young people here illegally against deportation, summoned tens of thousands of migrant children from Central America. To solve the problem, the White House wants to open the door even wider by offering asylum to people from that region.
House Republicans passed a bill giving President Obama funds to manage the flood of immigrant minors and his requested expansion of deportation capability; Harry Reids Senate refused to take up the legislation.
President Obama accuses Republicans of creating the border disaster by failing to pass comprehensive immigration reform. The reform bill passed earlier this year by the Senate would not have prevented the flood of unaccompanied minors from Central America, or provided any solution to the problem.
Notwithstanding the calamitous consequences of the DACA, President Obama is threatening to provide amnesty by executive order for some portion of the 11 million illegal immigrants currently in our country. That will not, of course, fix the border crisis.
President Obama got so mad about the whole mess that he stalked off to play golf.
That pretty much sums up President Obamas phony bleating about immigration. What we are seeing is a replay of 2012, when sinking approval ratings from Hispanic voters and a tight reelection race pushed the president to unilaterally create the mini-Dream Act, or the DACA. Today, the Senate is up for grabs, and in a number of contested states, Latino voters may well prove critical.
Related: Obamas August PlaybookOwn the Immigration Fix
Obamas standing has shriveled among Hispanics, and hes desperate for a win with Latinos who do not reliably turn out for midterm elections. What could better drive Hispanics to vote for Democrat candidates in November than an amnesty gift from our embattled president?
Only the inevitable hostile overreaction from Republicans. An overreaction that drove the second bill the House recently sent to the Senate, which aimed to revoke DACA. Republicans know that the country is sympathetic to the DREAM Act -- most of us feel that innocent young people who have grown up in the U.S., and certainly those who have served in the armed forces, deserve a shot at citizenship. This second bill was born of frustration over a president who has been dishonest about his commitment to immigration reform and who has repeatedly challenged the constitutional authority of Congress.
Obamas play here is simple. It comes down, as ever, to politics and polls. The GOP needs to win a net six seats to take control of the Senate. First, they must defend their seats in Georgia and Kentucky. While Mitch McConnell should ride Obamas anti-coal program to victory in Kentucky, the race in Georgia between Republican David Perdue and Dem Michelle Nunn is tight.
Related: ImmigrationWhat Youll Be Arguing About This Month
A recent New York Times piece, Control of Senate May Hinge on Georgia, concluded, If there is a path to victory for Ms. Nunn, it will be by increasing minority turnout While 48 percent of those newly eligible nonwhite voters are black, Hispanics are the fastest-growing share of the electorate, now accounting for 3 percent of the total. According to Pew Research, Georgias Hispanic population is the 10th largest in the nation; the number of registered voters has more than tripled since 2004. But, only about half the eligible Hispanic voters were registered in 2012, making the state ripe for just the kind of get-out-the-vote campaign that Democrats excel at.
In North Carolina, another race characterized as a dead heat today, the number of registered Hispanic voters has increased tenfold since 2004, according to Pew. In 2012, Latinos accounted for 1.7 percent of registered voters -- without a doubt that figure is now north of 2 percent. In Louisiana, where incumbent Democrat Mary Landrieu is under siege, the fast-growing Hispanic community accounted for 3 percent of eligible voters in 2012.
In Colorado, Mark Udall may keep his seat thanks to the expanding Hispanic population in that state now at 14 percent of the electorate. Some 63 percent of that group has family or friends that are undocumented. Do they care about immigration reform? You bet. And so it goes. In state after state, close races could well be decided by a campaign effort to sign up eligible Hispanic voters and entice them to the polls.
Related: Obamas Dream Act Dooms Immigration Reform
Even in Alaska, in a race too close to call, Democrat incumbent Mark Begich is appealing to the 6 percent of the population that is Hispanic through ads on Telemundo. Though it is not clear how many are registered voters, in a 50-50 match up, Begich is on the hunt for every incremental vote.
Now you know why Obama may enact a broader amnesty program via executive order. He wants to keep the Senate in Democrat hands and not spend the next two years lamely quacking. But, President Obamas approval ratings on how hes handling the immigration crisis are deep in negative territory. More Americans now trust the GOP on the issue, a sharp turnaround from three months ago.
The border mess -- the sense that the rule of law is crumbling in the U.S. -- has hardened the countrys view of illegal immigrants. What Obama may win through a higher turnout of Hispanics in some key states, he could lose elsewhere. What we do know is that Obama may not excel at foreign policy or working with Congress or managing the federal government, but he is excellent at manipulating the electorate and winning elections against all odds.
“I think we should use any and all means necessary to prevent the president from illegally granting amnesty,” Cruz said during a Republican-led press conference on illegal immigration on Tuesday. During a press conference in Wales on Sept. 5, President Obama pledged to use his own executive power to “create some path” for illegal aliens to “be legal” in the “absence of congressional action.” "What I’m unequivocal about is that we need immigration reform; that my overriding preference is to see Congress act,” Obama said. “We had bipartisan action in the Senate. The House Republicans have sat on it for over a year. That has damaged the economy, it has held America back. It is a mistake.” “And in the absence of congressional action, I intend to take action to make sure that we’re putting more resources on the border, that we’re upgrading how we process these cases, and that we find a way to encourage legal immigration and give people some path so that they can start paying taxes and pay a fine and learn English and be able to not look over their shoulder but be legal, since they’ve been living here for quite some time,” said Obama. “But I want to be very clear,” he continued, “my intention is, in the absence of action by Congress, I’m going to do what I can do within the legal constraints of my office -- because it’s the right thing to do for the country."
The Constitution of the United States gives Congress – not the Executive branch – authority over immigration. Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution says: “Congress shall have power … to establish a uniform rule of naturalization.” The Constitution also gives Congress the power of the purse, meaning that while the president may issue executive actions, Congress can decide whether or not to fund those actions. Article 1, Section 9, Clause 7 of the Constitution says, “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law." In response to Obama’s amnesty pledge, Cruz and several other Republican senators are throwing their support behind legislation proposed by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), which passed the House 216-192 on Aug. 1. If enacted, the new law would prevent Obama from using “federal funds or resources” to unilaterally grant amnesty or the right to work to the roughly 11.3 million illegal aliens currently in the United States.
It would also freeze the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which began in 2012 as an executive order by Obama that deferred deportation actions against millions of illegal aliens who had come across the border as children. Many Republicans now blame the program for instigating the massive surge of illegal alien children crossing the Southwest U.S. Border. At the press conference, Cruz urged Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid to bring Blackburn’s bill to the Senate floor for a vote. “When the president tries to unilaterally grant amnesty, and he's promised to do so this year, by the end of the year, right after the election, every Senate Democrat who stood with Harry Reid against allowing a vote on this legislation, every single Senate Democrat bears the responsibility for the president's illegal amnesty,” Cruz said.
At the press conference on Tuesday, Cruz said Obama has “no authority to grant amnesty,” and called any attempt by the president to enact a path to legalization on his own “illegal.” When asked if he would oppose a spending bill that did not include legislation to block Obama’s amnesty and freeze the DACA program, Cruz said he wanted to see the spending bill before making a call on whether he would vote for it. “Let’s wait and see what’s in the CR,” Cruz said, adding, “I have a habit of actually seeing what’s in legislation before I make a decision of whether or not to support it.”
Use CR to Stop Obama s Amnesty Cruz We Should Use Any and All Means CNS News
Obama announced on Friday in Wales that if Congress does not act on immigration reform in the way he wants, then he will take unilateral action to give illegal aliens “some path” to “be legal.” “The president announced openly and brazenly that he intended to provide amnesty and work authorization for 5 to 6 million illegals, that’s an unbelievable statement,” Sen. Sessions said during the Capitol Hill news conference on Tuesday. “The law prohibits people illegally here from working. He has no ability to do that. It’s clearly contrary to the law.” “We fought a revolution to keep from having a king and a parliament. We’ve got a president and a Constitution and we’ve got a House and Senate. The president’s job is to enforce the laws that the House and the Senate write,” Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) said. “Let’s get real: Follow the law, Mr. President, you follow the law, we’ll be happy.”
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) noted that in threatening Congress with executive action President Obama “actually counters his own statement,” and quoted a 2011 statement by Obama in which he said, “I swore an oath to uphold the laws on the books. Now I know some people want me to bypass Congress and change the immigration laws on my own. That’s not how our Constitution was written.” Rep. Smith added that Obama stated as recently as last fall, “If, in fact, I can solve all these immigration problems without passing laws in Congress, then I would do so, but we’re also a nation of laws.” “The president should listen to his own words and he should abide by his oath of office and the Constitution of the United States,” Smith said. “Rule of law in America depends on that our President doesn’t have the power to do this,” said Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). “He certainly has no business telling us he’s going to do it by executive fiat after the election. But the fact that he’s done that should hasten us to vote on it now.”
Sen. Cruz emphasized that Obama is “going to helpfully wait till after the election to violate the law and illegally grant them amnesty.” “In the Senate, I was proud to introduce legislation to put into law to make it unequivocal that the president prospectively has no authority to grant amnesty,” Cruz said. “Sadly, on this side of the Hill, Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats refuse to allow the Senate to vote on legislation making clear that the president has no authority to grant amnesty.” “Which means,” Cruz concluded, “when the president tries to unilaterally grant amnesty -- and he’s promised to do so this year, by the end of the year, right after the election -- every Senate Democrat who stood with Harry Reid against allowing a vote on this legislation, every single Senate Democrat bears the responsibility for the president’s illegal amnesty.”
The Constitution of the United States gives Congress – not the Executive branch – authority over immigration. Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution says: “Congress shall have power … to establish a uniform rule of naturalization.” The Constitution also gives Congress the power of the purse, meaning that while the president may issue executive actions, Congress can decide whether or not to fund those actions. Article 1, Section 9, Clause 7 of the Constitution says, “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law."
Sessions on Obama s Plan to Declare Illegals Legal It s Clearly Contrary to the Law CNS News
Cruz and Sessions on Obama's amnesty program for illegal aliens...
Use CR to Stop Obama's Amnesty? Cruz: ‘We Should Use Any and All Means’
September 10, 2014 -- When asked if he would use Congress’ upcoming spending bill, the continuing resolution, to prevent President Barack Obama from legalizing millions of illegal aliens in the United States, Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said he’s open to using “any and all means necessary” to prevent the president from unilaterally granting amnesty.
“I think we should use any and all means necessary to prevent the president from illegally granting amnesty,” Cruz said during a Republican-led press conference on illegal immigration on Tuesday. During a press conference in Wales on Sept. 5, President Obama pledged to use his own executive power to “create some path” for illegal aliens to “be legal” in the “absence of congressional action.” "What I’m unequivocal about is that we need immigration reform; that my overriding preference is to see Congress act,” Obama said. “We had bipartisan action in the Senate. The House Republicans have sat on it for over a year. That has damaged the economy, it has held America back. It is a mistake.” “And in the absence of congressional action, I intend to take action to make sure that we’re putting more resources on the border, that we’re upgrading how we process these cases, and that we find a way to encourage legal immigration and give people some path so that they can start paying taxes and pay a fine and learn English and be able to not look over their shoulder but be legal, since they’ve been living here for quite some time,” said Obama. “But I want to be very clear,” he continued, “my intention is, in the absence of action by Congress, I’m going to do what I can do within the legal constraints of my office -- because it’s the right thing to do for the country."
The Constitution of the United States gives Congress – not the Executive branch – authority over immigration. Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution says: “Congress shall have power … to establish a uniform rule of naturalization.” The Constitution also gives Congress the power of the purse, meaning that while the president may issue executive actions, Congress can decide whether or not to fund those actions. Article 1, Section 9, Clause 7 of the Constitution says, “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law." In response to Obama’s amnesty pledge, Cruz and several other Republican senators are throwing their support behind legislation proposed by Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), which passed the House 216-192 on Aug. 1. If enacted, the new law would prevent Obama from using “federal funds or resources” to unilaterally grant amnesty or the right to work to the roughly 11.3 million illegal aliens currently in the United States.
It would also freeze the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which began in 2012 as an executive order by Obama that deferred deportation actions against millions of illegal aliens who had come across the border as children. Many Republicans now blame the program for instigating the massive surge of illegal alien children crossing the Southwest U.S. Border. At the press conference, Cruz urged Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid to bring Blackburn’s bill to the Senate floor for a vote. “When the president tries to unilaterally grant amnesty, and he's promised to do so this year, by the end of the year, right after the election, every Senate Democrat who stood with Harry Reid against allowing a vote on this legislation, every single Senate Democrat bears the responsibility for the president's illegal amnesty,” Cruz said.
At the press conference on Tuesday, Cruz said Obama has “no authority to grant amnesty,” and called any attempt by the president to enact a path to legalization on his own “illegal.” When asked if he would oppose a spending bill that did not include legislation to block Obama’s amnesty and freeze the DACA program, Cruz said he wanted to see the spending bill before making a call on whether he would vote for it. “Let’s wait and see what’s in the CR,” Cruz said, adding, “I have a habit of actually seeing what’s in legislation before I make a decision of whether or not to support it.”
Use CR to Stop Obama s Amnesty Cruz We Should Use Any and All Means CNS News
See also:
Sessions on Obama's Plan to Declare Illegals Legal: 'It's Clearly Contrary to the Law'
September 10, 2014 -- Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), and many of their congressional colleagues on Tuesday called President Barack Obama’s plan to take unilateral action to legalize illegal aliens following the midterm elections “lawless," and stressed that he must follow the Constitution.
Obama announced on Friday in Wales that if Congress does not act on immigration reform in the way he wants, then he will take unilateral action to give illegal aliens “some path” to “be legal.” “The president announced openly and brazenly that he intended to provide amnesty and work authorization for 5 to 6 million illegals, that’s an unbelievable statement,” Sen. Sessions said during the Capitol Hill news conference on Tuesday. “The law prohibits people illegally here from working. He has no ability to do that. It’s clearly contrary to the law.” “We fought a revolution to keep from having a king and a parliament. We’ve got a president and a Constitution and we’ve got a House and Senate. The president’s job is to enforce the laws that the House and the Senate write,” Rep. John Carter (R-Texas) said. “Let’s get real: Follow the law, Mr. President, you follow the law, we’ll be happy.”
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) noted that in threatening Congress with executive action President Obama “actually counters his own statement,” and quoted a 2011 statement by Obama in which he said, “I swore an oath to uphold the laws on the books. Now I know some people want me to bypass Congress and change the immigration laws on my own. That’s not how our Constitution was written.” Rep. Smith added that Obama stated as recently as last fall, “If, in fact, I can solve all these immigration problems without passing laws in Congress, then I would do so, but we’re also a nation of laws.” “The president should listen to his own words and he should abide by his oath of office and the Constitution of the United States,” Smith said. “Rule of law in America depends on that our President doesn’t have the power to do this,” said Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah). “He certainly has no business telling us he’s going to do it by executive fiat after the election. But the fact that he’s done that should hasten us to vote on it now.”
Sen. Cruz emphasized that Obama is “going to helpfully wait till after the election to violate the law and illegally grant them amnesty.” “In the Senate, I was proud to introduce legislation to put into law to make it unequivocal that the president prospectively has no authority to grant amnesty,” Cruz said. “Sadly, on this side of the Hill, Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats refuse to allow the Senate to vote on legislation making clear that the president has no authority to grant amnesty.” “Which means,” Cruz concluded, “when the president tries to unilaterally grant amnesty -- and he’s promised to do so this year, by the end of the year, right after the election -- every Senate Democrat who stood with Harry Reid against allowing a vote on this legislation, every single Senate Democrat bears the responsibility for the president’s illegal amnesty.”
The Constitution of the United States gives Congress – not the Executive branch – authority over immigration. Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution says: “Congress shall have power … to establish a uniform rule of naturalization.” The Constitution also gives Congress the power of the purse, meaning that while the president may issue executive actions, Congress can decide whether or not to fund those actions. Article 1, Section 9, Clause 7 of the Constitution says, “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law."
Sessions on Obama s Plan to Declare Illegals Legal It s Clearly Contrary to the Law CNS News
