President Barack Obama took a historic step in announcing he would take far-reaching executive actions to change immigration policy. He spoke with the confidence of a man who believed he was doing the right thing. But his actions have set up a major confrontation with Republicans who have accused the president of an abuse of power.
The president's actions, which will go into effect in the new year, will provide relief for up to five million people living illegally in this country. “The actions I’m taking are not only lawful, they’re the kinds of actions taken by every single Republican president and every Democratic president for the past half-century,” Mr. Obama said. “To those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better, or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill.”
At the heart of the president's announcement is a new program for undocumented people who have been in the United States for at least five years and are parents of children who are citizens. Most of them would be eligible for a new temporary legal status that would allow them to work in the country for three years. However, they must pass criminal background checks and pay taxes. "I know some of the critics of this action call it amnesty. Well, it's not," the president said in his prime time address from the White House. "Amnesty is the immigration system we have today -- millions of people who live here without paying their taxes or playing by the rules, while politicians use the issue to scare people and whip up votes at election time."
The president also said he would "build on our progress at the border" with additional resources to help further stem with the flow of illegal immigrants. He added that deportations of criminals are up 80% over the past six years. "That's why we're going to keep focusing enforcement resources on actual threats to our security. Felons, not families. Criminals, not children. Gang members, not a mother who's working hard to provide for her kids. We'll prioritize, just like law enforcement does every day."
The president also responded to many business leaders by announcing relief for some immigrant workers with special skills. "I will make it easier and faster for high-skilled immigrants, graduates, and entrepreneurs to stay and contribute to our economy, as so many business leaders have proposed. "
The president did not propose a pathway to citizenship. Instead, in announcing his actions, the president called upon Congress to act on immigration. The Senate passed a bi-partisan immigration bill eighteen months ago, but the Republican controlled House has refused to vote on the measure because of divisions within the GOP House membership. Speaker John Boehner has attempted to cobble together a piecemeal approach to immigration, but his members have refused to act.
It is clear, despite all their outrage, the Republican controlled Congress is not going to pass immigration reform. Pragmatic members of the party know that Latinos are a large and growing segment of the U.S. population that will play an important role in deciding who is elected president in 2016. But a large faction of the party has been opposed to a larger solution, instead focusing their efforts on border security. There are currently more than eleven million illegal immigrants in the United States. About 40% of them entered through airports and overstayed the visas, according to Congressmen Luis Gutiérrez (D-Il), who is elated with the president's actions.
Republican leaders are not so eleated. Speaker John Boehner released a video response, "The president has said before that 'he's not the king' and 'he's not an emperor," but he is sure acting like one." Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), who helped write the Senate immigration bill, said, "The president's actions now make all of this harder and are unfair to people in our immigration system who are doing things the right way." Senate Rand Paul (R-Ky) said he would "not sit idly by and let the president bypass Congress and our Constitution." Earlier, soon to be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell threatened to act, saying, "We're considering a variety of options."
Latinos gathered at the White House, and in cities around the country, to express their support for the president's actions. Millions of them will soon be able to come out of the shadows of our society and live in peace. One of them told the Los Angeles Times, "We're going to leave the darkness -- we're going to stop being scared."
The dilemma for Republicans is that if they undo what the president has done they will alienate millions of Latinos and other immigrants. But that has never stopped them before.
Showing posts with label Latinos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Latinos. Show all posts
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Vote/Voto
It's a race to the finish line, but Republicans seem to have a decisive edge in Tuesday's midterm elections. Should the Republicans gain control of the Senate, they will control both houses of Congress and the consequences will be dramatic.
Turnout in the 2014 midterm elections may be a record low. Yet, the outcome may affect every American. The gridlock that currently plagues Washington will only increase with Republicans in control of the Senate. Memo to Democrats: an array of important issues, currently being blocked by the GOP, will either be bottled up or repealed.
The Democrat president has been stymied because it takes 60 votes in the Senate to end a filibuster that blocks legislation or nominations from passage. Currently the Democrats are unable to overcome this roadblock because they have a bare majority, and the Republicans have fully leveraged their position. A Republican majority in the Senate will mean open season for the party.
Take the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, which is the law of the land and has been implemented in many states. Presently, millions of formerly uninsured Americans are now covered by President Barack Obama's signature program. The law has had dramatically positive results, especially in helping to reduce the growth of health care costs. While the program is not perfect, it is working. Yet Senate Republicans, led by Texas Senator Ted Cruz, will be emboldened to kill this law. They see the ACA as an entitlement that must be eliminated.
Equal pay for women will be a lost cause. So will attempts to raise the minimum wage. Governor Chris Christie spoke for most Republicans when he recently said, “I’m tired of hearing about the minimum wage.” He continued, “I don’t think there’s a mother or a father sitting around a kitchen table tonight in America who are saying, ‘You know, honey, if our son or daughter could just make a higher minimum wage, my God, all our dreams would be realized.’” Yet most economists believe the minimum wage should be increased.
The Democrat controlled Senate passed an immigration reform bill, but the Republican House, under its Speaker John Boehner, has refused to vote on the measure. House Republicans want to close the southern borders and deport most illegals. Their idea of the Dream Act is sending all immigrants home who are here illegally. They actually believe that the illegals are taking jobs away from able Americans.
Several important government positions have not been filled because Republicans are sitting on the nominations. Should the Supreme Court have a vacancy, the GOP will do all they can to block any nomination by President Obama. They would prefer a nominee who will role back a woman's right to choose, same sex marriage, and allow interest groups to anonymously spend enormous amounts of money on their candidates. Their nominee would support expansion of voter ID laws, which adversely impact the elderly and minorities, typically Democrats.
If you think you have heard enough about the GOP manufactured scandals of Benghazi and IRS, which have been thoroughly investigated, you better fasten your seat belts. A Republican controlled Senate will spend millions of taxpayer dollars trying to score political points against Democrats, like Hillary Clinton, the party's probable 2016 presidential candidate. The will do so by opening new investigations and dragging them out through 2016.
It seems inexplicable that the "party of no" will gain control of Congress. Congressional Republicans have an approval rating of 21%, while 69% of those polled last month disapprove of Congressional Republicans. That is half the president's approval numbers. Yet the GOP may be rewarded with control of both Houses of Congress.
Following the 2008 Presidential Elections, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, who is currently the Minority Leader, made it his number one priority to destroy President Obama and his agenda. He calculated that the president would bear the blame for a dysfunctional government, so McConnell did all he could to bollix up the works with partisan tactics, including shutting down the government. Now, even though he is unpopular in his home state of Kentucky, he is on the verge of being rewarded with reelection.
President Obama has been hammered by the GOP for his handling of ISIS, the ruthless terrorist group that has gained control of significant territory in Syria and Iraq. But it was the Republican President George Bush who lied to America to begin the Iraq war, which led to this mess. Had the president given arms two years ago to the so-called moderate factions fighting Syria's government, there would have still been an ISIS and Obama would have been blamed for arming the group.
Republicans are critical of the president's foreign policy. For instance, the removal of American combats troops from Iraq. Yet, the troop withdrawal was in accordance with a status of forces agreement negotiated by Bush.
Speaking of President Bush, his economic policies, based on traditional Republican principles and ideals, led to the worst recession this country has had since the Great Depression. The "trickle down" economic theory espoused by Republicans has not worked, and has led to a further gap in this country between rich and poor. President Obama has dug this country out of the deep economic hole he inherited, by increasing employment, reducing the deficit, and putting tougher banking regulations in place on "too big to fail" type institutions.
To those Democrats who don't think this election is important enough for them to exercise their precious right to vote, especially African Americans, Latinos, the young, and women, they will only have themselves to blame for what comes next.
Turnout in the 2014 midterm elections may be a record low. Yet, the outcome may affect every American. The gridlock that currently plagues Washington will only increase with Republicans in control of the Senate. Memo to Democrats: an array of important issues, currently being blocked by the GOP, will either be bottled up or repealed.
The Democrat president has been stymied because it takes 60 votes in the Senate to end a filibuster that blocks legislation or nominations from passage. Currently the Democrats are unable to overcome this roadblock because they have a bare majority, and the Republicans have fully leveraged their position. A Republican majority in the Senate will mean open season for the party.
Take the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, which is the law of the land and has been implemented in many states. Presently, millions of formerly uninsured Americans are now covered by President Barack Obama's signature program. The law has had dramatically positive results, especially in helping to reduce the growth of health care costs. While the program is not perfect, it is working. Yet Senate Republicans, led by Texas Senator Ted Cruz, will be emboldened to kill this law. They see the ACA as an entitlement that must be eliminated.
Equal pay for women will be a lost cause. So will attempts to raise the minimum wage. Governor Chris Christie spoke for most Republicans when he recently said, “I’m tired of hearing about the minimum wage.” He continued, “I don’t think there’s a mother or a father sitting around a kitchen table tonight in America who are saying, ‘You know, honey, if our son or daughter could just make a higher minimum wage, my God, all our dreams would be realized.’” Yet most economists believe the minimum wage should be increased.
The Democrat controlled Senate passed an immigration reform bill, but the Republican House, under its Speaker John Boehner, has refused to vote on the measure. House Republicans want to close the southern borders and deport most illegals. Their idea of the Dream Act is sending all immigrants home who are here illegally. They actually believe that the illegals are taking jobs away from able Americans.
Several important government positions have not been filled because Republicans are sitting on the nominations. Should the Supreme Court have a vacancy, the GOP will do all they can to block any nomination by President Obama. They would prefer a nominee who will role back a woman's right to choose, same sex marriage, and allow interest groups to anonymously spend enormous amounts of money on their candidates. Their nominee would support expansion of voter ID laws, which adversely impact the elderly and minorities, typically Democrats.
If you think you have heard enough about the GOP manufactured scandals of Benghazi and IRS, which have been thoroughly investigated, you better fasten your seat belts. A Republican controlled Senate will spend millions of taxpayer dollars trying to score political points against Democrats, like Hillary Clinton, the party's probable 2016 presidential candidate. The will do so by opening new investigations and dragging them out through 2016.
It seems inexplicable that the "party of no" will gain control of Congress. Congressional Republicans have an approval rating of 21%, while 69% of those polled last month disapprove of Congressional Republicans. That is half the president's approval numbers. Yet the GOP may be rewarded with control of both Houses of Congress.
Following the 2008 Presidential Elections, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, who is currently the Minority Leader, made it his number one priority to destroy President Obama and his agenda. He calculated that the president would bear the blame for a dysfunctional government, so McConnell did all he could to bollix up the works with partisan tactics, including shutting down the government. Now, even though he is unpopular in his home state of Kentucky, he is on the verge of being rewarded with reelection.
President Obama has been hammered by the GOP for his handling of ISIS, the ruthless terrorist group that has gained control of significant territory in Syria and Iraq. But it was the Republican President George Bush who lied to America to begin the Iraq war, which led to this mess. Had the president given arms two years ago to the so-called moderate factions fighting Syria's government, there would have still been an ISIS and Obama would have been blamed for arming the group.
Republicans are critical of the president's foreign policy. For instance, the removal of American combats troops from Iraq. Yet, the troop withdrawal was in accordance with a status of forces agreement negotiated by Bush.
Speaking of President Bush, his economic policies, based on traditional Republican principles and ideals, led to the worst recession this country has had since the Great Depression. The "trickle down" economic theory espoused by Republicans has not worked, and has led to a further gap in this country between rich and poor. President Obama has dug this country out of the deep economic hole he inherited, by increasing employment, reducing the deficit, and putting tougher banking regulations in place on "too big to fail" type institutions.
To those Democrats who don't think this election is important enough for them to exercise their precious right to vote, especially African Americans, Latinos, the young, and women, they will only have themselves to blame for what comes next.
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