Boehner’s Immigration Blunder

POLITISITE.com ^ | 3 February 2014 | Colonel Steven B. Vitali USMC (Ret)

Against the rising gale sweeping towards a Republican surge in the upcoming 2014 Congressional elections, House Speaker Boehner boldly disregards the wide sentiment of the American people against the promulgation of an amnesty bill this year. Speaker Boehner proudly put forth a set of immigration principles, a fig leaf presentation to pave the road to amnesty for illegal immigrants. In Republican country, the reception of Boehner’s amnesty embrace and his “go-it-alone” strategy during a pivotal election season rankles deep within the Republican Party and specifically questions his ability to continue as the Speaker of the House. His unconscionable decision is especially detrimentally significant since recent national polls indicated only 3% of the American population would support Congressional immigration legislation this year. Americans are under siege by a stagnant economy; a rapidly rising national debt; abusive regulations; over taxation; a carnivorous government; and most of all, a palpable fear of Obamacare that impacts on the health and wealth of all American families. These are the great issues defined today that hinders American prosperity and liberty. Americans are also rightfully concerned over the security of the American borders and anguish at an administration and Department of Justice whose inept immigration enforcement policies appear to green light an “Open Borders” strategy to benefit future Democrats running in national elections. Boehner’s folly to move on a path of citizenship without border security is inexcusable. Without real border security, Boehner’s proposition ensures a repeat flood of illegal immigrants surging across our porous borders. A path to citizenship will only be viable when and if our national borders become verifiably secure. As long as Obama remains in office, our borders will never be secured. Historically, America is home to the underpinning of liberty, individualism, patriotism, exceptionalism, and entrepreneurism that drew to America the fancies and aspirations of legal immigrants from the far corners of the globe. Legal immigrants patiently waited in line and learned our standards to become American citizens. Their dream of becoming an American was built on their hope and desire to assimilate into the fabric of the American society. Today, America increasingly is faced with a different immigration dilemma; illegal immigration. Of note, it is reported that only 50% of Illegal immigrants express a desire to learn and cultivate American history, values, traditions, and language. A number of illegal immigrants who crossed our borders and broke American laws did so only for monetary gain and openly display their allegiance to their ancestral home. America is a composite of a multitude of immigrants from all nationalities and the seal that binds us is our desire to assimilate into the fabric of an American society. Some Illegal immigrants possess no desire or willingness to assimilate and therefore, their divided allegiances create a dangerous precedent that may lead to the further “balkanization” of America. Assimilation is the key to long term health and vitality of America and not multiculturalism which strikingly failed in Eastern Europe. Our politicians in an effort to appeal to a block of potential voters cause great harm to our American composite and a disservice to all legal immigrants who patiently follow the rules as they wait to become American citizens. Progressive Congressional Democrats and the Obama Administration have recognized the voting trends of the rapidly growing Hispanic vote. The strength of the Democrat Party is empirically fortified and sustained by a windfall amnesty program that fills the Democrat voter rolls to millions of new voters. We are witness to Latino immigrants possessed of deep roots of family, hard workers, good character, and who possess the same aspirations of a brighter future as any other legal immigrant. Yes, our nation must recognize the infeasibility of rounding up millions of illegal immigrants for deportations. That being the case, the proposition of amnesty or green cards can only be resolved once a secured border is erected and enforced. The illegal immigrant fiscal benefit to America is in dispute. Illegal immigrants are significantly less educated and unskilled. Therefore, illegal immigrants are more likely to live at the poverty rate; and therefore, they utilize considerably more governmental welfare resources and taxpayer expenditures at the local, state, and federal levels than the taxes they produce to the government. Second, illegal immigration in a period of large economic instability that exists today seizes jobs from American citizens who are desperately searching for employment. America’s unemployment rate in December 2013 fell to 6.7% but the increase in jobs was only 74,000 workers and half of the created jobs were unskilled part-time employment. Under these circumstances, illegal aliens are competing with American citizens for the scarcity of jobs in the market. The real unemployment figure is 10.3%, if those who gave up looking for employment are counted. Conditions for American workers are so harsh that Obama asks Congress to procure unemployment funds for those unemployed past 90 weeks. American citizens should not take second seats behind an illegal alien for the limited number of jobs created as a result of Obama’s failed economic policies. Amnesty or a path to citizenship should be placed on hold until the borders are secured and the American recession/ depression have ended. American citizen’s rights and liberties should not be negated to further a partisan political agenda. That is un-American and unpatriotic. In strategic terms, the Boehner path to citizenship (amnesty plan) is quite disturbing, especially in a run-up to a critical election year. Boehner’s ill-advised maneuver shifts the spotlight and public opinion from the titanic failures of Obamacare. For whatever reason, Boehner’s decided to hand Obama and Harry Reid a special election gift that will dampen Republican resolve, funding, and the possibility of recapturing the US Senate. Efforts to recapture the US Senate and hold the House should be Speaker Boehner’s primary concentration. Putting forth his truncated immigration principles was a potentially disastrous amateurish ploy and further divides the Republican Party when they should be unified. Boehner’s path to citizenship plan provides for work permits, legal status, and probationary periods. His principles sound reasonable and Boehner’s mouthpieces proclaim they will ensure the government secures the border first. Truthfully, are Americans going to discard the realities of the last five years of Obama’s immigration enforcement policies and trust Obama or Boehner for that matter to enforce and secure our borders? Neither one has earned the American public trust or respect. Congressional Republicans should unite against Speaker Boehner’s “fig leaf” amnesty plan. Americans deserved a new House Speaker who will work for justice and the rights of the common man in Middle America instead of the “fat cats’ within the Chamber of Commerce.