GOP In Disarray*
(*Well, not exactly, but since the mainstream media keeps portraying the Democratic Party in those terms with headlines akin to the title of this screed because of disputes on the issue of troop withdrawal, I decided to do my part to provide balance.)
It appears that the GOP-led House of Representatives is going to stall on immigration reform, according to an article by Carl Hulse in today's NY Times.
In a decision that puts an overhaul of immigration laws in serious doubt, House Republican leaders said Tuesday that they would hold summer hearings around the nation on the politically volatile subject before trying to compromise with the Senate on a chief domestic priority of President Bush.
...The unusual decision to set a new round of hearings on legislation already passed by the House and the Senate places a serious roadblock in the way of Mr. Bush's drive for major changes in immigration policy.
The leadership decision reflected the deep resistance among House Republicans to the bipartisan approach approved in May by the Senate and generally endorsed by Mr. Bush. That bill combined new border enforcement with a program for temporary guest workers and the ability of illegal immigrants to qualify for citizenship by meeting a series of requirements.
House Republicans passed a party-line bill late last year that focused solely on border enforcement, and they said a majority of the public backed their approach. Many House Republicans consider the Senate bill amnesty for those who have entered the country illegally.
...The focus of the summer hearings and the schedule were uncertain Tuesday as Republicans suggested that they would be used both to explore the content of the Senate bill and to survey public opinion on the issue. But it was clear House Republicans intended to use the forums to try to expose what they saw as failings in the Senate bill and to build public opposition to that approach. [Emphasis added]
What's really going on here is that the Senate decided to actually do immigration reform, while the House had planned on using the the term as a euphemism for immigrant bashing in order to fire up the far right base of the party enough to get them to the polls in November.
The result may very well be a bit of blowback, especially if no bill makes it to the Emperor's desk before the election. One certainly hopes so.
It appears that the GOP-led House of Representatives is going to stall on immigration reform, according to an article by Carl Hulse in today's NY Times.
In a decision that puts an overhaul of immigration laws in serious doubt, House Republican leaders said Tuesday that they would hold summer hearings around the nation on the politically volatile subject before trying to compromise with the Senate on a chief domestic priority of President Bush.
...The unusual decision to set a new round of hearings on legislation already passed by the House and the Senate places a serious roadblock in the way of Mr. Bush's drive for major changes in immigration policy.
The leadership decision reflected the deep resistance among House Republicans to the bipartisan approach approved in May by the Senate and generally endorsed by Mr. Bush. That bill combined new border enforcement with a program for temporary guest workers and the ability of illegal immigrants to qualify for citizenship by meeting a series of requirements.
House Republicans passed a party-line bill late last year that focused solely on border enforcement, and they said a majority of the public backed their approach. Many House Republicans consider the Senate bill amnesty for those who have entered the country illegally.
...The focus of the summer hearings and the schedule were uncertain Tuesday as Republicans suggested that they would be used both to explore the content of the Senate bill and to survey public opinion on the issue. But it was clear House Republicans intended to use the forums to try to expose what they saw as failings in the Senate bill and to build public opposition to that approach. [Emphasis added]
What's really going on here is that the Senate decided to actually do immigration reform, while the House had planned on using the the term as a euphemism for immigrant bashing in order to fire up the far right base of the party enough to get them to the polls in November.
The result may very well be a bit of blowback, especially if no bill makes it to the Emperor's desk before the election. One certainly hopes so.
posted by Diane at 4:03 AM
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