Senator Cornyn pressured on immigration reform
Posted on Thursday, March 18 @ 01:36:31 EDT
Topic: Republican GOP Republicans immigration
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 WASHINGTON – A conservative group opposed to immigration reform rallied thousands of its supporters to call a Texas senator and warn him against backing a bill that would grant citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants.
“I do not and will not support amnesty,” Republican Sen. John Cornyn said Wednesday after the calls were made.
Topics = Illegal immigration, Sen. John Cornyn, amnesty, immigration reform, William Gheen, ALIPAC
March 17, 2010
Gary Martin
San Antonio Express-News
Cornyn responded to the political pressure on the right by accusing President Barack Obama of taking “political cover” with recent White House meetings that failed to make a serious attempt to address the broken immigration system.
“President Obama said he wants to deal with this issue — unfortunately, it's been crowded out by other business, namely health care,” Cornyn said.
The contretemps comes just days before thousands of pro-immigration rights supporters are scheduled to hold a massive protest in Washington to spotlight the need for immigration reform.
Obama met last week with Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., about the progress of a bipartisan immigration reform bill being written in the Senate.
It is expected to include a path to citizenship for those in this country illegally.
Graham has urged the president to seek more Democrats to support a Senate bill, which in turn would attract more GOP lawmakers.
Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee cited an Irish Central magazine article that speculated Cornyn could flip to support a citizenship provision because of his “Irish roots.”
ALIPAC says another potential supporter could be Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who sponsored bipartisan immigration reform legislation in 2007 with the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. That bill died in the Senate.
“We are asking Senator Cornyn to turn down Obama, Graham, Schumer and McCain's requests for him to support comprehensive immigration reform amnesty,” said William Gheen, ALIPAC president.
ALIPAC urged its 30,000 supporters to make telephone calls to Cornyn's office to “ask him not to flirt” with immigration reform supporters.
“These corrupt politicians in Washington are lying when they claim they don't support amnesty, but support comprehensive amnesty that allows millions of illegal aliens to circumvent current laws, remain in America, and become citizens and voters,” Gheen said.
Cornyn acknowledged receiving telephone calls from those opposed to reform legislation.
Meanwhile, thousands of immigration rights supporters are expected Sunday to protest the Obama administration's procedures on deportation and the lack of any progress on immigration reform since the 2008 election.
The “March for America” will include various groups urging Obama and Congress to pass immigration reform legislation this year.
“The time has come for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to step up and support the forthcoming legislation,” said Angela Kelley with the Center for American Progress, which supports sweeping reform and citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
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