GOP DEBACLE #1 – THE SENATE
As of this writing, we are not out of the woods, but it appears that the worst risk of bad policy ideas becoming law – as proposed in Senate legislation – may be off the table for now. This week, anti-immigration, pro-Trump Republicans in the Senate provided the bulk of the votes to kill action on a border/immigration/asylum package attached to Ukraine (and Taiwan and Israel) aid. Republicans then turned around and demanded a vote on immigration / asylum / immigration amendments as a prerequisite for funding Ukraine and other foreign policy priorities. Confused? You’re not the only one. “As Pathetic As It Is Cynical” was the headline of one America’s Voice statement, quoting Vanessa Cárdenas. Another Cárdenas quote read: “The torturous circular logic and cynicism of Republicans continue to astound.” Only a handful of progressive Democrats opposed the immigration provisions, while some advocates also pointed to positive aspects of the bill that will not go through because of GOP opposition. AV’s main message at the end of a tumultuous week is that “Democrats have the opportunity to step into the issue and clearly outline a real agenda to run on that contrasts genuine and popular solutions with the fear, misinformation, and cynical politics offered by the GOP.” Read more here.
GOP DEBACLE #2 – THE HOUSE
The impeachment of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas didn’t go the way that Marjorie Taylor Greene or House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green planned it, partly because Rep. Al Green (D-TX) stood up. Republicans (who were missing one of their votes for health reasons) lost a floor vote as Rep. Green was wheeled in from a hospital procedure to cast his vote. Meanwhile, three Republicans broke ranks with Greene, Green, and the other MAGAs. Impeachment failed 214-216, but Republicans promise to be back on the floor on Tuesday with their full complement of votes, and sadly, impeachment is likely to pass. Working with allies across the movement and with the Congressional Integrity Project, AV pushed an important message about the arguments the GOP is using to win impeachment: the deadly white nationalist and antisemitic “invasion” and “replacement” conspiracy theories. As former ADL president Abe Foxman said in a Time op-ed, “You don’t have to be a Holocaust survivor like me to be concerned,” he wrote. “But today, I am worried. When an antisemitic, anti-immigrant conspiracy is evoked to take down a Jewish public servant.” AV and allies have also been making the point that amplifying these conspiracy theories makes us vulnerable to domestic terrorists. AV Political Director Zachary Mueller noted: “Every time an elected official publicly embraces the rhetoric of the replacement and invasion conspiracy, they are contributing to a climate where someone with hate in their heart and a gun in their hand believes they should take matters into their own hands.” Read more here.
FBI FOILS ATTACK BY MAN INSPIRED BY WHITE NATIONALIST ‘INVASION’ RHETORIC
The recent arrest of a Tennessee man by the FBI is a shocking reminder of the real-world consequences that can follow the dangerous and reckless mainstreaming of white nationalist and antisemitic conspiratorial rhetoric. Federal agents say the man, outraged over an alleged “invasion” of the U.S. by migrants, sought to join the recent border convoy to shoot and maim. Rolling Stone reported that the man also “hoped to inspire a ‘domino effect’ encouraging others to join in confrontations with federal officials.” This convoy, chock full of neo-Nazis, Jan. 6 insurrection supporters, and an assortment of bigoted conspiracists, was endorsed by GOP officials. As a reminder, ongoing tracking from AV Political Associate Yuna Oh has found 430 tweets just this year from GOP elected officials who have employed white nationalist and antisemitic replacement and “invasion” conspiracy, including Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), chair of the influential National Republican Congressional Committee. “While thankfully, this individual was apprehended and last week’s border rallies didn’t lead to violence, we all must be unequivocal in our condemnation of this rhetoric and clear-eyed about its violent consequences,” said AV Political Director Zachary Mueller. “We can disagree about the politics and policy of immigration, but we must draw the line when the rhetoric is inspiring hateful political violence.” This includes rhetoric from our nation’s leaders in Congress. Read more here.
IF YOU’RE GLAD THAT INFLATION AND DEFICITS ARE GOING DOWN, THANK IMMIGRANTS
Immigrants commonly come to the U.S. to seek hope and new lives for themselves and their families. According to a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, their hard work, skills, and resilience also make our nation stronger and more prosperous. Findings from the CBO state that growth in immigration will help our economy grow by a massive $7 trillion over the next ten years. Researchers also said that higher population growth, “mainly from increased immigration, more than offsets a projected decline in the labor force participation rate” partly to an aging workforce. “In our projections, the deficit is also smaller than it was last year because economic output is greater, partly as a result of more people working,” CBO Director Phillip L. Swagel added. The findings follow recent data from the Immigration Research Initiative projecting millions of dollars in additional local and state tax contributions from asylum seekers and newly arriving immigrants. “Far from taking jobs away, foreign-born workers have played a key role in America’s recent success at combining fast growth with a rapid decline in inflation,” the New York Times’ Paul Krugman observed in a recent column. “And foreign-born workers will also be crucial to the effort to deal with our country’s longer-term problems.” Yes, despite the right wing’s xenophobia, immigrants make the country stronger – for all of us. Read more here.
REPUBLICANS ARE DEEPLY UNSERIOUS – AND NEWS OUTLETS HAVE NOTICED
YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THIS
Eagle Pass residents and members of the Eagle Pass Border Coalition have issued an open letter to Texas Governor Greg Abbott demanding the public restoration of their beloved community park. As part of his unprecedented challenge to federal immigration supremacy, Abbott has seized control of Shelby Park, blocking residents from a community space they’ve enjoyed for generations. “Our beautiful and safe public park has been taken away from us and turned into a military-style staging area, now being used as a backdrop for political theater by you, who live over 200 miles away, and out-of-state politicians,” the letter states. They urge him to listen to those who live in the borderlands. “Most importantly, when you and other out-of-town politicians speak to the national media to supposedly tell the nation what is happening on the border, you have excluded the voices of the very residents who live here,” the letter continues. “Why? Because we would tell the true story of who we actually are: a beautiful, quiet, and safe city.” Read more here.
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