Is Congress Afraid Of Its Job
Ken Hughes
June 10, 2007
There’s little doubt the fight in congress over the immigration bill was a ruse meant to placate the public. Washington politics survives on media sound bits, usually a sound bit is good for a day or so then fades to allow the next sound bit it’s place in the sun. Somewhere someone thought “Illegal Immigration” would be something that would enhance their image with the voters. What it did was ignite a frustrated public into demanding action on an issue that had been festering below the surface far to long.
Illegal immigration, with all its ramifications was something congress would prefer to avoid. We are a nation of 300 million there are an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country, hardly a number that would bring down the republic. Critics point out it’s not the number or their nationality it’s the principle, they came without asking our permission. We are a nation of immigrants when most of our ancestors came they followed the rules of the day obtaining permission to come to America. Twelve million [Not just Hispanics] have disregarded those rules and the public is retaliating in kind.
The illegal immigrant advocates will argue the rules are archaic and don’t fit the situation or the times. That may be true but in our democracy rules are what hold it together, rules are the cornerstone of all democracies without them there’s chaos. Most of the arguments used against immigrants are bogus they’re the same argument used against our ancestors when they came to America. We are a nation capable of assimilating 12 million immigrants if they came as immigrants obeying our laws and not as law breakers.
America is the most compassionate nation on earth we go to the aid of any group in need. America is also a proud nation who resents being taken advantage of. Most Americans see illegal immigration as taking advantage rather than a compassionate move for a deprived group of people.
The congress finds themselves between a rock and the hard place. They’re accountable to the voters who obviously want something done about illegal immigration. They’re accountable to their political contributors who just as obviously don’t want something done. As much as congress would like to have it both ways they can’t. Illegal immigration as an issue may very well grow to surpass the war in Iraq as an issue in the 2008 election. Congress chose to shove the immigration bill under the rug, not a wise move on their part. Congress gives the public so little they should have given them the courtesy of at least giving serious consideration to enforceable immigration legislation they owed us the effort.
This was failed legislation that can’t be blamed on partisan politics both parties let the public down. Neither party was willing to face the possibility of loosing financial support by coming down on the wrong side of illegal immigration. That may have been the most expensive vote any congressmen ever cast, this failure to act will be remembered in the coming 2008 elections, if there’s any doubt talk radio and the internet bloggers will be there to remind them. This is an issue the conservative right isn’t going to let die nor should they
This is a golden opportunity for the GOP to shed those congressmen and women who lost the house and senate in the last election and rebuilt the party in the conservative image of Berry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. There are young men and woman waiting for an opportunity to serve in congress, men and women with fresh ideas befitting the 21st century ideologies. The current members of congress are more likely to see things through the rear view mirror than what’s in the road ahead.
As voters and American citizens we can’t complain about the government we get if we aren’t willing to sneak out and demand accountability. The American public has the right to know why congress can’t write legislation that secures our boarders and restricts illegal immigration. It’s not rocket science, its accountability to the public the thing congress was elected to do.
Illegal immigration, with all its ramifications was something congress would prefer to avoid. We are a nation of 300 million there are an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the country, hardly a number that would bring down the republic. Critics point out it’s not the number or their nationality it’s the principle, they came without asking our permission. We are a nation of immigrants when most of our ancestors came they followed the rules of the day obtaining permission to come to America. Twelve million [Not just Hispanics] have disregarded those rules and the public is retaliating in kind.
The illegal immigrant advocates will argue the rules are archaic and don’t fit the situation or the times. That may be true but in our democracy rules are what hold it together, rules are the cornerstone of all democracies without them there’s chaos. Most of the arguments used against immigrants are bogus they’re the same argument used against our ancestors when they came to America. We are a nation capable of assimilating 12 million immigrants if they came as immigrants obeying our laws and not as law breakers.
America is the most compassionate nation on earth we go to the aid of any group in need. America is also a proud nation who resents being taken advantage of. Most Americans see illegal immigration as taking advantage rather than a compassionate move for a deprived group of people.
The congress finds themselves between a rock and the hard place. They’re accountable to the voters who obviously want something done about illegal immigration. They’re accountable to their political contributors who just as obviously don’t want something done. As much as congress would like to have it both ways they can’t. Illegal immigration as an issue may very well grow to surpass the war in Iraq as an issue in the 2008 election. Congress chose to shove the immigration bill under the rug, not a wise move on their part. Congress gives the public so little they should have given them the courtesy of at least giving serious consideration to enforceable immigration legislation they owed us the effort.
This was failed legislation that can’t be blamed on partisan politics both parties let the public down. Neither party was willing to face the possibility of loosing financial support by coming down on the wrong side of illegal immigration. That may have been the most expensive vote any congressmen ever cast, this failure to act will be remembered in the coming 2008 elections, if there’s any doubt talk radio and the internet bloggers will be there to remind them. This is an issue the conservative right isn’t going to let die nor should they
This is a golden opportunity for the GOP to shed those congressmen and women who lost the house and senate in the last election and rebuilt the party in the conservative image of Berry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. There are young men and woman waiting for an opportunity to serve in congress, men and women with fresh ideas befitting the 21st century ideologies. The current members of congress are more likely to see things through the rear view mirror than what’s in the road ahead.
As voters and American citizens we can’t complain about the government we get if we aren’t willing to sneak out and demand accountability. The American public has the right to know why congress can’t write legislation that secures our boarders and restricts illegal immigration. It’s not rocket science, its accountability to the public the thing congress was elected to do.
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