The Quote Below—More Misinformation from the Media
“A work permit is unquestionably better than nothing for the millions of undocumented immigrants who’ve called America home for years or most of their lives.
“On Friday, House Democrats added immigration provisions onto their huge social spending bill known as the Build Back Better Act. It allows immigrants to apply for a five-year work permit with a chance to renew it for another five years.
“That’s a far cry from the comprehensive legalization of millions that Democrats promised to get elected.
“In the provisions that passed the House, immigrants won’t get a green a card (permanent residency) or, of course, a path to citizenship.’ That’s no fix – it’s a Band-Aid. The nation’s immigration problems won’t go away unless politicians grow a backbone and face the economic reality of the immigrant labor market.
“But OK. I get it.
“A work permit is better than nothing.
“And even that Band-Aid is anything but certain in the Senate. Not if Democrats keep hiding behind the parliamentarian, who has yanked two other immigration proposals as part of the budget reconciliation process. “Pro-immigrant rights groups are right to keep pushing for a path to legalization, instead of merely temporary fixes.
“ ‘Transformative immigration relief is about a broad, open path to citizenship that begins with the ability to apply for a green card,’ Angelica Salas, the executive director of The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, said in a statement.
“For now, though, it’s clear that a temporary fix in the Build Back Better Act is the only thing Democrats are willing to consider.
“Get it done then. No more excuses, Democrats.” – The Build Back Better Act Is a Band-Aid, But It’s better Than Nothing, Elvia Diaz, USA Today, 11/19/21 [Link]
Fact Check of Above Quote: The Democrats want to use budget reconciliation to advance their immigration agenda (included in the BBB Act) for two reasons: One is that they don’t want the scrutiny of that agenda that would happen through the normal legislative process. The other is that with reconciliation they can pass their immigration measures with just a majority vote in the Senate. Otherwise, they would face a filibuster, which would require sixty votes—a total they almost certainly would not be able to achieve.
What’s stopping scheme is the Senate Parliamentarian who has ruled, rightly, that it is not appropriate to legislate with a budget bill. Specifically, she ruled that an amnesty granting a path to citizenship to illegal aliens cannot be included in budget reconciliation. To get around this objection the Democrats have proposed legal status for illegal aliens without a path to citizenship. If the Parliamentarian will not go along with this, many Democrats—far from hiding behind her—are calling for the Senate to ignore her ruling.
The proposal to stop short of citizenship for amnestied illegal aliens is a ploy which shouldn’t deceive anyone. If the past is any guide to the future, amnesty advocates will break their promise on citizenship, just as they broke their promise back in 1986 never to propose another amnesty. No doubt their friends in media will churn out sob stories about wonderful “undocumented” people who suffer because they are not citizens and Democratic voters. As the writer of this article afforms, there must be a path to citizenship. —
Amnesty advocates want to “get it done,” but they don’t want to do it the right way. It’s pretty clear that the wrong way is the only way they can do it.