Dissenters in GOP Understand Damage to Electoral Prospects and Overall US Economy
Washington, DC – Republicans are in disarray over their dual-track, anti-immigrant ugliness: marking up a cruel and harmful anti-immigrant legislation and pursuing a sham effort to impeach DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Just check out a few headlines and excerpts:
- New York Times: “G.O.P. Immigration Agenda Faces Stiff Odds in Divided House“ noting, “House Republicans, intent on pressing ahead with their top campaign promises on immigration, turned a hearing with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas into an impeachment-focused interrogation and advanced restrictive border security legislation on Wednesday, despite significant G.O.P. opposition that could kill both initiatives on the House floor … There are not enough Republican members yet on board with either impeachment proceedings against Mr. Mayorkas or the border security legislation to avoid potentially embarrassing defeats on the House floor.”
- Politico: “House GOP plows ahead on risky immigration plan“ noting, “House Republicans dug in Wednesday on a two-track strategy to project commitment to border security. Both tracks seem headed toward failure.”
- Washington Post: “House Republicans may not have the votes to pass border security bill“ noting, “Several House Republicans will vote against a border security package if it includes legislation the Judiciary Committee is set to take up Wednesday, effectively killing the bill unless it gets significantly reworked. As many as a dozen Republicans would vote against the bill in its current form if it makes it to the House floor, according to five people familiar with the dynamics. Roughly 10 other people familiar with the negotiations told The Washington Post that the number of “no” votes remains fluid as lawmakers continue to seek consensus.”
Of particular note, the New York Times quotes voices of dissent within the Republican ranks who emphasize that the Republican turn against legal immigration is bad economics – and bad politics.
“‘It’s necessary to “have a legal pathway for people to come in and be able to work,” said Representative Dan Newhouse, Republican of Washington State, himself a farmer, in an interview. He noted that Congress would have to authorize new immigrant visas alongside mandating E-Verify to avoid a devastating blow to the agricultural sector.
Some border-state Republicans like [Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX)] … have also warned against severely restricting legal pathways into the United States. “We’re against the chaos, but we are a group that is in support of legal immigration.”
Underscoring the reality that it’s all about performative and ugly anti-immigrant politics: even if the GOP had all their caucus on board, both efforts are doomed to fail given Democrats’ control of the U.S. Senate.
According to Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
“Republicans aren’t really interested in solutions at the border, alternative legal pathways, or a larger immigration overhaul to modernize a broken system. Instead, for questionably effective political reasons, they prefer the chaos of the broken status quo. As Congressional Republicans spiral, squabble and descend even lower, we should also note that Republican state legislatures in red states like Florida and Texas are pushing sweeping proposals to embolden vigilantism and ensnare religious leaders and soccer moms for having contact with immigrants. It’s a reminder that we need solutions instead of MAGA politics and policy.”
