Today on CNN a Democratic and Republican Congressmen were debating immigration reform. The Democrat explained why his party was in favor of a comprehensive immigration reform effort while the Republican countered with a piece-meal approach. The Democrat, however, made a point that if John Boehner would simply allow a vote in the House, that comprehensive immigration reform would pass. The Republicans face a daunting task in passing some form of immigration reform while not alienating the ultra conservatives. The next few months will be telling. Each year that goes by without immigration reform separates families, hurts youngsters who were brought to the United States through no fault of their own, affects our economy and our ability to retain persons of extrordinary ability.
In reality, both parties want the same things:
1) Border Security
2) E-verify requiring employers to check the immigration status of employees
3) Foreign engineers and scientists should be permitted to stay legally in the United States
4) A legal path to citizenship, 69 percent of Republicans, 75 percent of Independents and 87 percent of Democrats in a CBS poll in October.
Granting legal status to those who “pass a criminal background check, pay a fine, pay back taxes, learn English, go to the back of the line” and receive no government benefits isn’t “amnesty,” said 58 percent of Republican primary voters polled by the Tarrance Group.
