More on Immigration Politics: Bush, Reid, and Pelosi

April 15, 2006

President Bush accused Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid on Thursday of single-handedly thwarting action on immigration legislation, and got a brisk retort in return. The Nevada Democrat shot back: “President Bush has as much credibility on immigration as he does on Iraq and national security.”

Then yesterday, Reid and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi issued the following statement:

Pelosi and Reid: Spin Doesn’t Change the Mean-SpiritedHouse Republican Immigration Bill

Washington,D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader HarryReid released the following statement on Speaker Hastert and LeaderFrist’s support of the Sensenbrenner amendment, which would criminalize anentire population of immigrants:

“SpeakerHastert and Leader Frist’s statement on immigration this week is a clearreflection that Republicans now feel the heat from the American people on themean-spirited approach of the House Republican immigration bill, H.R. 4437,authored by Congressman James Sensenbrenner.

“Thestatement serves to underline a key fact: that the Republican Leaders ofboth the House and Senate support the criminalization of an entire populationof immigrants by expressing support of an amendment that would have authorized6-month jail sentences.

“No amountof spin by the Republican leadership can change the fact that the Sensenbrennerbill – including the felony provision – was authored by Republicans andultimately passed by Republicans.

“The factis that Congressman Sensenbrenner’s amendment, if adopted, would have stillcriminalized an entire population for the first time in our history, ratherthan charging presence violations as civil offenses as provided under currentlaw. 11 million men, women, and children, with no exceptions, would stillgo to jail for up to six months under the revised Sensenbrenneramendment. That is why many Democrats voted against the Sensenbrenneramendment.

“As weconsider immigration reform, Democrats believe that we must protect and defendthe American people by protecting our borders. As we do so, we must alsoprotect and defend our values as Americans with comprehensive, humane, andrealistic immigration reform. It is imperative to our national security,and it is the right thing to do.

“Incontrast to these goals, we regret that Speaker Hastert and Leader Frist’sstatement indicates that the Republican leadership and your Republican alliessupport authorizing 6-month jail sentences for an entire population and thatturns 11 million men, women, and children—among the poorest and hardest workingpeople in our country – into criminals.

“We are abetter country than that. We must work together for real, bipartisancomprehensive immigration reform that protects our borders, honors our values,and that we can all be proud of. The Sensenbrenner bill fails miserablyand is antithetical to our basic values as a country. We willcontinue to vigorously oppose it.”