Thread: Schumer Backs Tactic to Bring Immigration Overhaul to a Vote

Schumer Backs Tactic to Bring Immigration Overhaul to a Vote

By ASHLEY PARKER and JONATHAN WEISMAN FEB. 13, 2014



Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York, left, with Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader. J. Scott Applewhite/Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Senator Charles E. Schumer, one of the architects of broad immigration legislation that passed the Senate in June, on Thursday embraced the idea of using a procedural maneuver known as a discharge petition to circumvent the Republican majority in the House and bring sweeping immigration legislation to a vote before the end of the year.

“The idea that’s begun circulating, to do a discharge petition on immigration reform in the House, is a good one and I would urge House Democrats to take it up,” Mr. Schumer, Democrat of New York, said in an email statement. “It’s clear a majority of the House supports immigration reform. A minority faction has scared Republicans out of acting even though large parts of the Republican base, including business and religious groups, support the bill, making a discharge petition an appropriate remedy.”

Mr. Schumer was responding to a recent column in The Washington Post by E. J. Dionne Jr. that suggested that Democrats use the tactic to try to force the Republican-controlled House to take up a broad immigration overhaul, most likely passing it with almost entirely Democratic votes.

It was not the first time in recent weeks that Mr. Schumer has floated an out-of-the-box idea in an attempt to keep alive the prospects of an immigration overhaul. During a “Meet the Press” appearance on Sunday, Mr. Schumer suggested passing immigration legislation this year, but delaying its implementation until 2017, in order to assuage the concern of many Republicans who do not trust President Obama to enforce the laws.

Republicans, Mr. Schumer said on the show, “have said they want to do immigration reform, but they don’t trust the president to enforce the law, particularly the enforcement parts. So there’s a simple solution: Let’s enact the law this year, but simply not let it actually start until 2017, after President Obama’s term is over.”

The last successful discharge petition, which circumvents regular order and allows lawmakers to overcome resistance from the speaker on issues they do not support, occurred in 2002, on a vote to overhaul campaign finance laws. Lawmakers and aides from both sides of the aisle say that a discharge petition — especially one coming from Mr. Schumer, who is considered a liberal pariah by many House conservatives — is highly unlikely to succeed.

Even if all of the House Democrats supported the measure, it would still require more than a dozen Republican votes.

“This scheme has zero chance of success — a clear majority in the House understands that the massive Senate-passed bill is deeply flawed,” said Michael Steel, a spokesman for Speaker John A. Boehner. “That’s why we will continue to work on step-by-step, common-sense reform.”

But Mr. Schumer’s strategy accomplishes an important goal of Democrats and immigration advocates — it keeps the pressure on Mr. Boehner and his fellow Republicans to move forward on at least some sort of an immigration overhaul, and serves as a political cudgel for Democrats, especially looking toward the 2016 presidential elections.

Coming on the heels of a “clean” debt ceiling vote this week, which Mr. Boehner put on the House floor Tuesday knowing it would pass only with a majority of Democratic votes, Mr. Schumer’s suggestion also serves as a trial balloon of just how far Mr. Boehner is willing to push his conference and buck outside conservative activists.

Mr. Boehner has already violated the so-called “Hastert Rule” — the unofficial credo that legislation should pass the House only with a majority of the majority — six times in the past 14 months, and a discharge could potentially provide him with political cover to do so again on immigration.

But even those who support an immigration overhaul say that rounding up the necessary Republican votes would prove an impossible task.

Representative Charlie Dent, a Republican moderate and supporter of moving forward on immigration, said a discharge petition has “zero” chance of accumulating the Republican signatures it would need. Even Republicans like himself, who favor action, would not sign on to a petition requesting consideration of the Senate-passed bill, because they do not support it on policy grounds.

During the 16-day government shutdown in October, Democrats circulated a discharge petition to reopen the government — a maneuver that was seen as far more urgent and, in theory, had far more support. But Republicans refused to sign, said Mr. Dent, who led the House Republicans trying to end the shutdown.

Now, the same Republicans who support action on immigration would not betray Mr. Boehner. “It means you’re putting a thumb in the eye of the speaker, not just in this issue but any issue,” Mr. Dent said.

“You’re essentially handing control of the floor to the minority party.”

The speaker’s decision this week to put a debt ceiling increase to a vote without preconditions was meant to get past a divisive issue so Republicans could regain their focus on the issues that unite them, especially opposition to President Obama’s health care law. It was “pulling the bandage from the scab and doing it fast,” Mr. Dent said, adding that Republicans are not about to reapply the immigration bandage anytime soon.

“Could you get a couple?” he said. “Perhaps, but not many.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/14/us...vote.html?_r=0

SCHUMER URGES HOUSE DEMS TO PUSH FOR DISCHARGE PETITION ON IMMIGRATION



by TONY LEE
13 Feb 2014

In comments that put illegal immigrants above Americans who were murdered in Benghazi, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Thursday called on House Democrats to press for a discharge petition to force the House to vote on amnesty legislation.

If Democrats and Republicans get 218 signatures on a discharge petition, a bill could come to the floor. House Republicans have been trying--to no avail--to get signatures on a discharge petition to get House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) to allow a vote on a bill to establish a Select Committee to investigate the Benghazi scandal in which four Americans were murdered, including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens.

"The idea that’s begun circulating, to do a discharge petition on immigration reform in the House, is a good one and I would urge House Democrats to take it up,” Schumer told Politico, saying such a petition would be an "appropriate remedy."

He then claimed he believed that a "majority of the House supports immigration reform" and cited the support of big-business groups and "religious groups" that have been financed by the likes of George Soros.

Schumer was echoing the sentiments of liberal Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne, who is a denizen of the Beltway cocktail circuit. Dionne suggested in his column that Boehner's decision to join 27 Republicans and 193 Democrats to allow a clean debt ceiling hike with no reductions in spending presented a model to move amnesty legislation forward.

Last Sunday, Schumer said that amnesty legislation should be passed this year and not implemented until 2017, after President Barack Obama leaves office. He also said that illegal immigrants who came to the country before 2014 should be eligible for amnesty. As Breitbart News has noted, amnesty advocates want to force Congress to pass legislation this year--even with angry, confrontational, and in-your-face tactics--because those like Schumer and Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) have said that amnesty legislation would not pass the next Congress.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Governm...on-Immigration

First article added to the HP
http://www.alipac.us/content.php?r=2...haul-to-a-Vote

Schumer Offers Long-Shot Option to Skirt House GOP on Immigration

New York Times

- ‎2 minutes ago‎

WASHINGTON - Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, offered a long-shot option on Thursday to revive the moribund effort to overhaul the nation's immigration laws that would require the support of more than a dozen House Republicans ...

February 10, 2014 RUSH: Impeachable Offenses No Longer Matter




RUSH: Impeachable Offenses No Longer Matter
Feb 10, 2014 07:24 pm

By DONNA CASSATA, Associated Press | February 16, 2014 | Updated: February 16, 2014 6:54pm



WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats are determined to cast an election-year spotlight on Republican opposition to raising the minimum wage and overhauling immigration laws.

To try to accomplish that in the GOP-controlled House, Democrats are planning to rely on an infrequently used, rarely successful tactic known as a "discharge petition."

It requires the minority party — in this case, Democrats, who are unable to dictate the House agenda — to persuade some two dozen Republicans to defy their leadership, join Democrats and force a vote on setting the federal minimum wage at $10.10 an hour.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California said Democrats will push the wage issue when Congress returns from its break Feb. 24. Forcing a vote on a comprehensive overhaul of immigration laws could occur in a few months.

Democratic leaders argue that a majority of Americans favor both steps, which are priorities for President Barack Obama, and say the House GOP is the obstacle. Republicans say Democrats are embarking on an approach that they know has little chance of success in an attempt to circumvent the will of the GOP-led House.

The odds are daunting for Democrats in what clearly is political maneuvering ahead of the elections this fall.

Some questions and answers on how it works.

___

Q: What does a discharge petition do?

A: It allows the minority or opposition party to bypass the House speaker and get a vote.

First, 217 members — one more than half the House's current membership of 432 — have to sign a petition. A motion to consider the wage issue would then be placed on the legislative calendar, but it can't be acted on for at least seven days. Any lawmaker can then call it up but only on the second or fourth Monday of the month. The motion is debated and if the House passes it, then lawmakers would consider and vote on the bill.

Currently there are 232 Republicans, 200 Democrats and three vacancies in the House. All 200 Democrats would have to sign the petition, but Democrats would have a tough time getting 17 Republicans to join them.

Signing a discharge petition would be a breach of loyalty for Republicans, certain to draw the wrath of the caucus, and a rebuke of Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Republicans largely oppose any increase in the minimum wage. They say it's an issue left to the states and that it could slow hiring in a struggling economy.

Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat, acknowledged that Democrats are unlikely to sway Republicans. Yet he also provided a preview of one of his party's arguments on this issue.

"I don't think we're ever confident that we're going to get 18 Republicans to sign a discharge petition, but we apparently have 30 or 40 that are known over here," Hoyer said at a news conference this past week at the party's retreat in Cambridge, Md. "Our expectation is if they want to make sure that working people have an incentive to work, they will pay them to do so a wage that does not leave them in poverty."

___

Q: What about immigration? A number of House Republicans back a comprehensive approach. Would they sign a discharge petition?

A: Highly unlikely. Republicans still are unwilling to break ranks with the party and Boehner, despite the distinctly different political forces on the issue.

Immigration overhaul has the support of an unusual coalition that includes some traditional backers of the GOP. They include the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and business groups, religious organizations such as the U.S. Catholic Bishops, evangelicals and labor unions.

A few Republicans have expressed support for a comprehensive bill similar to the Senate-passed measure and have pleaded for the House to act this year. They worry about the political implications in their swing districts back home. Yet it would be a remarkable step for some of the more moderate lawmakers from California and Florida to abandon Boehner.

Boehner has come out with principles on immigration that call for legal status for some of the 11 million immigrants living in the country illegally and has expressed support for a piecemeal approach to the issue. Last week, however, the speaker all but ruled out the House acting on legislation this year, blaming GOP distrust of Obama to enforce any new law.

On the notion of a discharge petition, Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said, "This scheme has zero chance of success. A clear majority in the House understands that the massive Senate-passed bill is deeply flawed."

Sen. Chuck Schumer, a major player on the bipartisan Senate measure, recently pushed the idea of a discharge petition, but the New York Democrat is unlikely to sway the nearly two dozen House Republicans necessary to sign on.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., made clear how Democrats will frame the issue for the Republicans who want immigration overhaul.

"Talk is one thing; actually doing something is another. And I'm sure they'll have a chance between now and November to let their constituents know whether they're serious on immigration reform, the comprehensive one, or not," Van Hollen said.

___

Q: A discharge petition sounds like a tough sell. Has it worked recently?

The discharge petition worked in 1986, forcing a vote on a gun rights bill, and in 2002, ensuring a vote on campaign finance legislation.

The difficulty for a discharge petition in the current political climate was never more evident than last fall in the midst of the 16-day partial government shutdown. Even though several Republicans said they wanted to vote on a spending bill with no strings attached, they rejected the idea that they would join forces with the Democrats.

http://www.chron.com/news/politics/a...on-5239843.php

February 17, 2014
Patricia Walston
examiner

Three hours ago, FoxNews reported that Democrats are up to their old tricks – bait and switch.

They report that the Democrats are going to try and force a vote on minimum wage and immigration reform with no hope of success; but as a tactic to fault the GOP for not going along.

Their plan is to merely attempt to discredit GOP contenders in the upcoming elections this year. They want this to come off like the GOP does not care for the “little” people.

Rather than concentrating on good government for the people, Democrats are digging in to their old bag of tricks to actually deceive the people into turning against the GOP in the mid-term elections.

This is but another page out of the Saul Alinsky’s playbook of how to be a radical – the Democratic Bible.

Rules for radicals and community organizers:

“If you push a negative hard enough, it will push through and become a positive.”

Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.”

Their latest trick seems to rely on the rule below: This time raising the minimum wage to $10.10 and immigration laws.

“A good tactic is one your people enjoy.”

Taken from the history books on the French Revolution, Saul Alinsky and his gang always sought out the poor, the uneducated, the un-productive to rally them around their cause; and to do the dirty work while claiming to be their friend and liberator. They promise them everything they want courtesy of the government – uh….the taxpaying citizens.

However, in the end, they disfavor them as well as the rest of the citizenry. And then they blame the negative results on the competition.

This has been a long time tactic of the Democratic/Liberal Party.

While even the Democrats do not believe this effort will pass, it is not their hope of winning; but their tactic is to put the GOP in a bad light.

They plan is to persuade the citizens that the GOP does not want poor people to make a living or for illegal immigrants to have any rights. This is their trick to smear mud on the faces of those who will be running as Republicans in the mid-term elections. That is the goal here and not the legislation.

The Associated Press reports: “The House Democrats are vowing to try a rarely used tactic to force votes in the GOP-led chamber on the minimum wage and immigration reform, a strategy that will likely fail but might hurt Republicans with voters in this year’s elections.

The tactic is known as a “discharge petition." It would require the minority party, in this case Democrats, to persuade roughly two dozen Republicans to defy their leadership and join Democrats in forcing a vote on setting the federal minimum wage at $10.10 an hour.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said fellow chamber Democrats will push the issue when Congress returns from its break Feb. 24.

The attempt to force a vote on a comprehensive overhaul of immigration laws could occur in a few months.

Democrats think that a majority of Americans support both issues and that attempting to use the discharge petition will at least portray House Republicans as the obstacle to their success.

However, the discharge petition rarely works.

That was never more evident than last fall in the midst of the 16-day partial government shutdown. Though several Republicans said they wanted to vote on a spending bill with no strings attached, they ultimately rejected the idea that they would join forces with the Democrats.

Voters beware. Voters wake-up. All that glitters is not gold and deceivers are masters at twisting things and turning things back on others. This tactic is where one side creates the problem and then tries to blame it on the opposition.

Remember the evil one in the Garden of Eden. He instigated the sin, and then Adam and Eve bought into it and they were left holding the bag.

This reminds me of older brother Tommy breaking a vase and blaming it on younger defenseless baby brother Johnny. The Dems create problems and then blame it on the GOP. However, this year might just be the year – when the GOP will defend the people of the nation and not buy into childish games.

Other rules of old Saul’s:

“Keep the pressure on. Never let up.”

“The threat is usually more terrifying than the thing itself.”

"The major premise for tactics is the development of operations that will maintain a constant pressure upon the opposition."

These tactics seem more appropriate for a football coach than men and women elected to serve all the citizens of the United States in accordance with the Constitution.

Most Americans see each new election year as a time of optimism to finally put people in office that are true statesmen and women – rather than playing all those political games that only wastes time, effort, and money which ultimately leaves the citizens themselves in the dirt.

Term limits seems to be a growing idea in America. The President can only serve two terms; why not the House and Senate? This would help eliminate their perpetual efforts of looking toward their next election rather than the business of the American people.

http://www.examiner.com/article/dems...ll-the-marbles