08-06-2014, 03:13 PM
Yesterday Congress failed to get anywhere on passing an immigration reform bill. They issued a statement that they would not take off for their scheduled summer recess until they do. We'll see.
President Obama indicated that he may use Executive Action in their absence if they fail to act.
Snip:
The long-term political stakes are huge.
If reforms allow millions of immigrants now facing potential deportation to get eventual citizenship, Democrats would get the credit and the likely political loyalty of generations of Hispanic American voters.
Republicans, meanwhile, are deeply divided over how to proceed.
Conservatives warn that approving the Senate reforms or something similar would ensure that a Democrat occupies the White House for years to come.
More moderate Republicans argue that failing to do so would bring the same result.
"We must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform," the Republican National Committee concluded in its post-mortem of the 2012 presidential election, in which GOP nominee Mitt Romney lost to Obama. "If we do not, our party's appeal will continue to shrink to its core constituencies only."
Despite that conclusion, House Republicans have blocked the comprehensive reforms passed by the Senate.
Obama said last week such division leaves him no recourse but to act on his own.
If he does before the November election, as expected, it could hurt some Democrats running in traditionally conservative states. That would amount to short-term pain for potential long-term gain.
Full story: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/04/politi...what-next/
President Obama indicated that he may use Executive Action in their absence if they fail to act.
Snip:
The long-term political stakes are huge.
If reforms allow millions of immigrants now facing potential deportation to get eventual citizenship, Democrats would get the credit and the likely political loyalty of generations of Hispanic American voters.
Republicans, meanwhile, are deeply divided over how to proceed.
Conservatives warn that approving the Senate reforms or something similar would ensure that a Democrat occupies the White House for years to come.
More moderate Republicans argue that failing to do so would bring the same result.
"We must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform," the Republican National Committee concluded in its post-mortem of the 2012 presidential election, in which GOP nominee Mitt Romney lost to Obama. "If we do not, our party's appeal will continue to shrink to its core constituencies only."
Despite that conclusion, House Republicans have blocked the comprehensive reforms passed by the Senate.
Obama said last week such division leaves him no recourse but to act on his own.
If he does before the November election, as expected, it could hurt some Democrats running in traditionally conservative states. That would amount to short-term pain for potential long-term gain.
Full story: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/04/politi...what-next/