CQ TODAY MIDDAY UPDATE
March 11, 2008 – 1:08 p.m.
House Republicans Seek to Force Floor Vote on Immigration Enforcement Bill
House Republicans planned to begin collecting signatures Tuesday on a petition to force a floor vote on a tough immigration enforcement bill sponsored by a conservative Democrat.
Minority Whip Roy Blunt , R-Mo., said he expects about 100 Republicans to sign the petition by Rep. Thelma Drake , R-Va., which seeks to bring to the House floor border enforcement legislation introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler , D-N.C.
Shuler’s bill has 141 cosponsors — 93 Republicans and 48 Democrats. But it is not clear how many Democrats will sign the discharge petition. The petition represents a direct challenge to their party’s leaders, who have not embraced Shuler’s bill.
Asked if enough members can be rounded up to get the needed 218 signatures to force the bill to the floor, Blunt said the focus will be on the Democrats who have orally supported the legislation.
“We can get to 218 if the 49 or 50 Democrats who say they are for border enforcement really are for border enforcement. We think it’s a bill that could pass and move us in the right direction,’’ he said.
Shuler’s bill would authorize the hiring of 8,000 additional border agents over five years. It would replace the current voluntary system for employers to check the legal status of their workers with a mandatory verification system and would deny tax deductions for the employment of illegal immigrants, among other provisions.
Although discharge petitions rarely succeed, unusual political alliances and election-year pressures over immigration make the outcome unpredictable.
Until recently, the conventional wisdom had been that immigration legislation would be a non-starter in this presidential election year. But an electorate seemingly exasperated with illegal immigration has yielded a flurry of get-tough proposals from conservatives in both parties.
Comments
"But an electorate seemingly exasperated with illegal immigration has yielded a flurry of get-tough proposals from conservatives in both parties." WHAT A MORON !!! What do you mean by "an electorate seemingly exasperated"? WE'RE NOT EXASPERATED, WE'RE PISSED !!! WE WANT THESE ARROGANT FREE-LOADERS BOOTED. PERIOD.
Just give us the names of the Reps that are not signing when they advertised that would and we will take it to them at election time.
Yea, for Dean and Ray!! We are fed up! When a represenative of the Mexican Government states on the Mexican consulate steps in San Diego that "This was Mexico before and will be Mexico again." It is time to kick their rear end out of our country! Who do they think they are? Are they threating to over take our country? Seams that way! Wise up America and get rid of the open border suporters!
Yeah, how did that work for you guys who voted out the Republicans in 2009? We have true insanity in DC now, thanks a lot!
I agree with Dean. Calif. is looking like Mexico.
I know we will have to take to the streets of our citys an let the gov know we are not going to take it anymore..And I think we need to sue the goverment. We the people, our goverment is to be working for us, not the illegals...I am so sick of this mess.If the goverment will not do it, then we will....They dont care they dont stand for law and order. Get your butt out..
I believe this administration and Congress have been taking this free capitalistic country over by taking over our private sector. Illegal immigrants have no right to be in this country. They are illegal: The socialists in our government ignore that illegal means they should not be in our country. This is a slap in the face to those immigrants who are here legally and have gone through the citizenship process. Our authorities need to round up the illegals and send them back from where they came. We might even uncover some terrorist cells in the process. How does Barry feel about this?
POST A COMMENT
Oops! The following errors must be addressed: