House Immigration Subcommittee chairman Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) was not that long ago telling the media that he was open to supporting the the Senate bill to address a broken immigration system:
A key House Republican who could have stalled the plan on the judiciary committee indicated Monday that he remains open to reform.
“The current immigration system is broken and inspires confidence in no one,” Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy, chair of the House immigration subcommittee, said in a statement. “So, proposals which balance the humanity which defines us as a people with respect for the rule of law which defines us as a republic are welcome.”
The Senate’s plan would cater to Democrats by allowing immigrants already in the country illegally to apply for legal status; meanwhile, the package seeks to appeal to Republicans by increasing border security via drones and more border agents, among other provisions.
But obviously the agents of obstruction in the House have gotten to Gowdy, because he's put the brakes on pushing to pass the bill in the House. Why, we could be forcing citizenship on 11 million people who don't necessarily want it!
The other thing to keep in mind, John, is the eleven million is not a homogeneous group. All of the eleven million do not desire citizenship. So it would be curious indeed to force citizenship on someone who does not want it.
What in the hell is he talking about? If we pass the Senate bill (which make no mistake, is hardly the comprehensive reform that everyone in Washington wails is needed in front of cameras), are we going to frog march undocumented immigrants into ICE and force them to become citizens? Gowdy then changes his focus from protecting the undocumented from heartless forced citizenship to protecting us from them:
All of the eleven million could not pass a background check. All of the eleven million are not similarly situated. You would agree with me that you should have a different level of scrutiny for a child who’s been here for ten years who was brought through no will or no action of his own as opposed to a 30 year old who’s been here for three weeks.
Ironic that Gowdy sounds like he would be supporting the DREAM Act from this. Too bad that he's the author of the extremist SAFE act instead, which would criminalize all undocumented immigrants, irrespective of their age or length of time in the US.
But consistency is the hobgoblin of reality-based liberals, not tea party Republicans like Gowdy.
