House Republicans plan to kill immigration reform

House Republicans plan to kill immigration reform

Sept.27, 2013.

 In August, as Congressional leaders turned their attention to Syria, cutting food stamps, and provoking a   budget crises, efforts to pass immigration reform  by progressive pro immigration  groups intensified.  In California, labor and its allies targeted Rep. Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield with demonstrations by thousands of farm workers, faith communities, and immigrant rights groups, including a 285-mile pilgrimage  of protest to the Bakersfield office of  McCarthy,  the  majority whip for the Republican Party  in the House. (see photo)  McCarthy is not usually counted among the extreme Tea Party Congresspersons.  The Bakersfield area district has a 35 percent Latino population and 22.8 percent of the voters in the 2010 election were Latino.

While most Republicans remain with the Tea Party’s anti-immigrant position to only pass legislation to enhance border security and  intensify enforcement, bringing  even more mass prosecutions and deportations,  two  California Republican Congressmen from districts with a high density of Latinos ( Jeff Denham and David Valado)  have called for some features of reform  including a path toward citizenship, but oppose the  provisions of Senate bill.   Community groups are focusing on changing the votes of  Republican holdouts in districts around the nation.  However on September 20, Texas Republicans John Carter and Sam Johnson  resigned from the house bi-partisan effort known as the Gang of Seven.  Their action probably ends the possibility of House compromise or a bi-partisan bill from the House.  In response two progressive Democrats from the group of 7, Grijalva  (Arizona) and Becerra (Ca.)  intend to introduce a bill similar to  the Senate Bill S 744, stripped of its Republican amendment to add  $ 26 billion of additional border enforcement.