This Issue: More Americans leave the labor force, but will anyone in Washington take their side on immigration?
While the Obama Administration considers whether or not it will grant amnesty and work permits to a significant portion of the country's illegal-alien population, the employment situation for American workers worsened last month. The unemployment rate dropped slightly in August, but mostly because of an increased number of Americans who left the labor force. The labor participation rate dropped to its lowest since the 1970s after 268,000 Americans gave up on their job search.
In addition, the number of new jobs created in August by employers was at its lowest rate this year (142,000) well below the 225,000 jobs that economists had anticipated.
Last week, Pres. Obama confirmed his desire to move forward with an executive action that would amnesty millions of illegal aliens and provide them with work permits, but he didn't indicate when the action may go into effect. His announcement was followed with concerns from within his own party about the impact of an executive amnesty on November's mid-term elections.
Increasingly, Republican candidates (especially in competitive Senate races with a Democrat incumbent) have described the Administration's proposed plan as a war on American workers; an argument that's been articulated by Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) for years. In an Brietbart.com interview posted today, Roy noted that for the last 18 months Sen. Sessions has been about the only national voice on the side of the American worker on the issue of immigration.
The public is ready to back the leaders in the party that shows they will truly go to the line for the workers...

The Republican voice is sounding more like Jeff Sessions. The more that the Republican voice is the message of Jeff Sessions, the less likely that Obama is going to be able to try to pull another executive amnesty.

-- Roy Beck
Also in recent weeks, a former Presidential candidate and potential candidate for 2016, Rick Santorum, sided with the American worker during a speech at the Family Leadership Summit. Santorum called for an immigration policy that puts American workers first and reduces legal immigration levels.
. . . we also have to face the reality that what's hurting American workers -- maybe more than anything else if you're an unskilled worker in America -- is a huge amount of immigration that's going on in this country.

And I'm not just talking about illegal immigration. Yes, we've seen 12, 15 million illegal immigrants here who are competing in primarily unskilled jobs. But in the last 14 years since 2000, there've been more people who have come to this country legally than any 14-year period in American history, and that includes the Great Wave."

-- Rick Santorum
(You can read more about Santorum's statements in Roy's new blog.)
CONGRESS RETURNS TO DC
Both chambers of Congress return from their month-long summer recess next week where the topic of Pres. Obama's proposed massive executive amnesty is likely to surface. After reports circulated that the House GOP may use the upcoming continuing resolution to fund the government past September as a way to block the Administration's amnesty plans were dismissed by GOP Leaders, the House is unlikely to take action above and beyond the two bills passed in July.
The Senate, however, has yet to address both Pres. Obama's executive amnesty or the ongoing border surge that's expected to amp back up this fall. We've used the summer recess to try and get Senators on the record on Pres. Obama's executive amnesty, so look for actions next week to continue to pressure the Senate to take action.
chris chmielenski
Fri, Sept 5th
Action
Keep an eye on your Action Board over the next several days for new actions. With Congress returning to Washington next week, we'll be posting faxes opposing Pres. Obama's proposed executive amnesty.
Features
Please check out our Candidate Comparisons to see how candidates in your district rate on immigration positions.
Language Matters
WHEN THEY SAY: They want border security and to stop illegal immigration but don't talk about the effect of immigration on American workers
WHAT THEY WANT: You can be reasonably sure that they aren't dedicated to an immigration policy that first serves the interests of the American people. They may not be as bad as the corporate lobbyists, but you can't count on them on the big immigration issues unless they show that they understand that one of the big problems of illegal immigration is its effect on struggling American workers and that adding a million legal immigrants with lifetime work permits EVERY YEAR poses real challenges for millions of Americans.
Visit our Language Matters page.
BLS: More Americans Leave Labor Force in August
While the Obama Administration considers whether or not it will grant amnesty and work permits to a significant portion of country's illegal-alien population, the employment situation for American workers worsened last month. The unemployment rate dropped slightly in August, but mostly because of an increasing number of Americans leaving the labor force. The labor participation rate dropped to its lowest since the 1970s after 268,000 Americans gave up on their job search.
Fri, Sept 5th
REPORT: FEWER ILLEGAL BORDER CROSSINGS BY MINORS BUT NOT FAMILIES
President Obama recently reported that the number of unaccompanied alien children (UACs) illegally crossing the border was down in August but failed to discuss illegal family crossings, which remained steady according to the Daily Caller. The inflow of UACs is expected to rise again when the weather cools.
thu, Sept 4th
Roy Beck
thu, Sept 4th
Santorum is latest sign of surging Republican message of cutting immigration for sake of American workers
It was much more than lip service. The extended immigration comments by former Sen. Rick Santorum at a recent Iowa presidential audition indicated a deep understanding of what decades of spiked immigration numbers have done to struggling workers and their families.
Jeremy Beck
wed, Sept 3rd
Tracking Rubio on comprehensive sequencing
Senator Marco Rubio hasn't had too much to say on the subject of immigration since the Senate passed his comprehensive bill, but he has been on something of a media tour of late to reinsert himself into the conversation. The Wall Street Journal's Laura Meckler reports.
tue, Sept 2nd
Report: DHS Lost Track of Thousands of Foreign Students of 'Heightened Concern'
ABC News reports that the Department of Homeland Security lost track of, and is now pursuing, over 6,000 foreign students who are deemed to be of "heightened concern." DHS told ABC that about 58,000 foreign students had overstayed their visa but the vast majority are not being sought.