Republicans bringing immigration into other issues
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Gannett News Service

WASHINGTON — If you’re not sure what illegal immigration has to do with union elections, federal agriculture spending or affordable housing subsidies, you must not be a Republican strategist.

Seeking an early edge for next year’s elections, House Republicans have forced several immigration votes on seemingly unrelated legislation since Democrats took control of the chamber. Using one of the few parliamentary tools available to the minority party, the GOP is trying to get vulnerable new Democratic lawmakers to cast votes that could be used against them in 2008 campaigns.

The strategy involves calling for bills to be sent back to the committees that wrote them with instructions to change specific language, just before the House votes on final passage of the legislation. So far, the GOP has filed more than 50 “motions to recommit,â€