Will House Republicans Follow the Money or Their Consciences on Immigration in 2014?
“Follow the money.” It’s still the surest way to trace the roots of a political disaste...
It will also be the surest way to trace the next political disaster if John Boehner and his inner circle of House Republican leaders decide to force through a package of immigration bills that include amnesty for illegal aliens, and massive increases in future immigration...
Granting amnesty to millions of people who broke our laws, who occupy millions of jobs in our economy, and who (along with their U.S.-born kids) consume billions of dollars in public resources, fails every test of good public policy, not to mention basic common sense...
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a $136 million a year lobbying juggernaut in Washington, has placed immigration at the top of its legislative wish-list...
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Chamber has set aside $50 million to “impose discipline” on Republicans who are not towing the Chamber’s line..
The Chamber’s $50 million budget to steamroll politicians who try to stand in their way could be matched or exceeded by Mark Zuckerberg. Last fall, the Facebook founder announced plans to spend $50 million (his own and other tech titans’) to get an immigration bill through the House. Other billionaires, including George Soros, Rupert Murdoch and Michael Bloomberg, also stand ready to open their wallets.
President Obama and congressional Democrats... also stand ready to reap the votes of millions of future low-wage, government-dependent voters a decade or two down the line...
Now it is up to the rest of the House Republican caucus to decide if they will follow the money or follow their consciences. In siding with struggling American workers and taxpayers they risk alienating some very big campaign donors. But the alternative is nothing less than acquiescing to the demise of the middle class in America – an avoidable political, social and economic disaster from which this country is unlikely to ever recover.