Thread: Senate Republicans sell immigration plan to House

Senate Republicans sell immigration plan to House

ERICA WERNER | March 1, 2013 02:17 PM EST | AP

WASHINGTON — Republican Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Jeff Flake met with key House conservatives this week to promote legislation to overhaul the nation's immigration laws and provide a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants, McCain's communications director said Friday.

McCain, R-Ariz.; Graham, R-S.C.; and Flake, R-Ariz., are members of a bipartisan group of eight senators working to craft a comprehensive immigration bill to enhance border security, streamline legal immigration, ensure employers don't hire illegal immigrants and provide eventual citizenship to illegal immigrants already here.

If it gets through the Senate, the legislation faces a potentially tough road with House Republicans skeptical of granting citizenship to illegal immigrants, and the meeting included at least one lawmaker known for taking a hard line on the issue.

"Sen. McCain was glad to have the opportunity to update key House members and get their advice and recommendations on this important effort. He looks forward to continuing these conversations as we move forward," said Brian Rogers, McCain's communications director.

Members present Thursday at the meeting organized by the House Republican Policy Committee included Rep. Steve King of Iowa and Rep. Raul Labrador of Idaho.

King is known for decrying amnesty for illegal immigrants while Labrador has said he supports finding a way to legalize the status of illegal immigrants already here, while rejecting the idea of giving them a special pathway to citizenship.

McCain, Graham, Flake and others argue that Republicans must tackle comprehensive immigration legislation partly to win back support from Latino voters crucial to national election outcomes, but that argument is a harder sell to House members who often represent overwhelmingly white districts.

Senate Republicans sell immigration plan to House

Republican Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Jeff Flake met with key House conservatives this week to promote legislation to overhaul the nation's immigration laws and provide a pathway to citizenship for an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants

What happened to their boy Rubio? Did he get cold feet on committing treason against the people of America?

W

Labrador has said he supports finding a way to legalize the status of illegal immigrants already here, while rejecting the idea of giving them a special pathway to citizenship.

We need more info on Labrador.

W

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

We need more info on Labrador.

W

Idaho Tea Party congressman may become key middleman on immigration reform

Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian By Jeff Mapes, The Oregonian
on February 05, 2013 at 10:05 AM, updated February 05, 2013 at 10:07 AM

Rep. Raul Labrador, the Idaho Republican who has mostly made waves for criticizing his own leadership as too wobbly on spending and tax issues, is quietly becoming a key figure in the immigration debate, The Washington Post reports.

Labrador, a Puerto Rican by birth who is also an immigration lawyer, has been having quiet talks with a key Democratic congressman on the issue and is seeking a meeting with President Barack Obama.

In a sense, Labrador is trying to play the same role as Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in fashioning an immigration policy that can attract Hispanic voters while not repelling the GOP base.

Labrador differs from Rubio in that he doesn't support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. As the Post explains:

Instead, he favors allowing those without documents to seek a nonimmigrant visa — part of a new, robust guest-worker program. It would allow them to step forward and gain legal status after paying a fine, without fear of deportation.

Labrado argues that Democrats are more interested in providing a path to citizenship as a way to build a new pool of voters. More important to now-illegal immigrants, he says, is giving them a chance to continue to work in the country without fear of deportation.
As the Post noted, Labrador is having a tough time selling it to his constituents. At a packed town hall meeting in Boise last week, Labrador was hit with criticism that he wasn't doing enough to repel an "invasion."

Labrador counters tht seeking to remove the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country would actually hurt the economy. He's particularly critical of fellow Mormon Mitt Romney's call for immigrants to "self-deport," saying that the GOP presidential nominee missed a chance to lead on the issue.

It's a sign of Labrador's importance to Republican leaders on this issue that he was named to the House Judiciary Committee, which on Tuesday is holding its first hearings of the session on immigration.

Labrador has been less than a favorite of the leadership. Elected on a wave of Tea Party support in 2010, he's been a hardliner on money issues. Last month, he voted against the "fiscal cliff" compromise and a few days later he abstained from voting to allow House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to continue in his post (and in fact, one of Labrador's fellow staunch conservatives, Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, voted for Labrador as speaker).

But it sounds like the House GOP leadership needs Labrador to see if he can help negotiate a path for them on immigration.

Idaho Tea Party congressman may become key middleman on immigration reform | OregonLive.com

And what exactly makes Labrador suddenly a 'Tea Party' Republican like they claim about Rubio and Rand Paul?

W

They are fools.

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

And what exactly makes Labrador suddenly a 'Tea Party' Republican like they claim about Rubio and Rand Paul?

W

He has been supported by the Tea Party since 2010.

Boise Tea Party endorses Labrador - The Spokesman-Review

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/.../b...rses-labrador/

May 14, 2010 – The Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The leaders of Tea Party Boise are endorsing Republican Raul Labrador ...

Senator Lindsey Graham is a big liar like his boyfriend John McCain. All of the gay rights folks in the Obama administration like Janet Napolitano and others know that Lindsey Graham is gay and that his Republican supporters in SC would frown upon this.

Their knowledge of his personal life secrets combined with their ability to conceal those secrets or make them household knowledge gives them power and control over Lindsey Graham who will do and say anything they want.

If a conservative makes a point of this, they will be visciously attacked for doing so like I was back in 2010.

If a liberal Democrat blogger threatens to put this information out, like what happened last year when Graham complained about the lifting of dont ask dont tell policies, the liberal media remains silent.

Only liberal Democrats are allowed to blackmail closet homosexual lawmakers like Lindsey Graham.

W

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Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman is also on record as backing the legal brief."