| Media Search: |
Obama to NPR: #39;We Have To Show Realism, Practicality #39; On Immigration
In a year-end interview with NPR #39;s Steve Inskeep, President Obama says there are many in the Republican Party who recognize the need for comprehensive immigration reform. Read the story: ...
By: NPR
See the original post here:
Obama to NPR: 'We Have To Show Realism, Practicality' On Immigration - Video
GWEN IFILL: A new Congress arrives in Washington after the new year, even as many veterans head out.
Tonight and tomorrow, we talk to two of them, one Democrat and one Republican, about what they found here and what they now leave behind.
We begin tonight with Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia.
Judy conducted this exit interview a few days ago.
JUDY WOODRUFF: Senator Chambliss, thank you for talking with us.
So, you
SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS, (R) Georgia: Sure. Good to be with you.
(LAUGHTER)
JUDY WOODRUFF: You are retiring just as your party is about to take over the majority in the Senate, a new opportunity to work on some of the issues you care the most about. No regrets?
SEN. SAXBY CHAMBLISS: No regrets whatsoever, Judy.
Here is the original post:
Outgoing Sen. Chambliss talks debt, immigration reform and hard-headed partisanship
HOUSTON, TEXAS
Over the span of several U.S. election cycles, there have been calls for comprehensive immigration reform to fix a system that people on both sides of the political spectrum agree is broken. But some observers say President Barack Obamas recent executive action aimed at temporarily shielding some undocumented foreigners from being deported may have doomed his longer-term goal of forging a comprehensive agreement with Congress.
Obamas recent executive action allows some four million undocumented residents in the United States to seek temporary legal status. But without Congressional approval, he cannot achieve comprehensive immigration reform.
Republicans, who won majorities in both houses of Congress in Novembers midterm elections, replied through Speaker of the House, John Boehner. Instead of working together to fix our broken immigration system, the president says he is acting on his own," he said. "That is just not how our democracy works.
Tony Payan, Director of the Mexico Center at Rice Universitys Baker Institute, says Obama's action will help a lot of people come out of the shadows and "essentially, become a little more integrated, in a legal, formal sense, into the American economy and the American society.
"But it was also very counterproductive because I feel that it polarized many of the Republicans who might have been willing to do something on immigration, he added.
While some undocumented immigrants support the move, others have mixed feelings about what they see as a temporary fix.
Payan says there are concerns about applying for legal status under this temporary measure.
Once they surrender their personal information to the government, once the government knows who they are and where they are and if the next president is not willing to extend that temporary protected status, then they are going to be found very quickly and to be denied, he said.
Republicans say they want to secure the border with Mexico before approving other measures. The surge of Central American immigrants at the Texas border earlier this year underscored this concern.
Continued here:
US Immigration Reform Appears Unlikely in 2015
In an exclusive interview with NPR, President Obama says Republicans are in a position to responsibly govern when they take control of both houses of Congress in January. (Reuters)
Throughout much of 2014, it was painfully obvious that if the GOP didnt act on immigration reform, the issue would become a big factor in the 2016 GOP presidential primary, perhaps making it harder for Republicans to address the issue and with it, their problem with Latinos heading into another national election.
In an interview with NPRs Steve Inskeep that was published this morning, President Obama stirred the pot further. He said nativist elements within the GOP were holding up action, noting that his recent executive actions on deportations pose a challenge for Republicans who do want to act but dont want to take on those nativists:
The question then becomes, by me having taken these actions, does that spur those voices in the Republican Party who I think genuinely believe immigration is good for our country? Does it spur them to work once again with Democrats and my administration to get a reasonable piece of legislation done?
Or does it simply solidify what I do think is a nativist trend in parts of the Republican Party? And if its the latter, then probably were not going to get much more progress done, and itll be a major debate in the next presidential election.
A new CNN poll illustrates the depth of this divide among Republicans and the degree to which it could loom in the coming GOP presidential primary. The poll finds that among Republicans, Jeb Bush leads all the other hopefuls.
But note the findings on immigration: A plurality of Republicans (35 percent) say they are less likely to vote for Bush because he has supported plans to legalize some undocumented immigrants. And an even larger plurality of Republicans (42 percent) say they are less likely to support him because he declared that undocumented immigrants are driven by an act of love that shows concern for their families.
Bush, you will recall, stirred up a big debate among Republicans when he outlandishly suggested that many undocumented immigrants, while undeniably lawbreakers, are in a morally complex situation (they are trying to better the lives of themselves and their families) and just might have something to contribute to American society. This is apparently a liability among a large swath of GOP voters.
Now, its worth noting that those saying they are less likely to support Bush still represent a minority of Republicans overall. But as weve seen, GOP primary candidates tend to talk to that conservative minority.
As Ive argued before, we shouldnt dismiss the views of Republicans who are unable to support legalization. This isnt necessarily nativism. For many, rewarding lawbreakers (even if their plights are morally complex) violates fundamental principles of fairness, precluding acceptance of amnesty in any form. But this polling is a reminder that among many Republicans, opposition to legalization of any kind remains in force the primary obstacle to any kind of reform compromise that both parties might support.
Excerpt from:
Sargent: Morning Plum: Obama pokes the GOPs nativist hornets nest
News stories over the weekend seem to suggest, yet again, that at least some members of Congress are looking at some options for immigration reform bills. The collection of articles just in the last few days reflects that the GOP is somewhat caught between a rock and a hard place trying to find some balance resisting the president on immigration reform but taking some action before the 2016 presidential election.
The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday that members of the House and Senate were working on various bills beyond trying to undo President Barack Obama's executive actions. First, lawmakers want to continue their push to pump more money into southern border security.
Efforts in the House and Senate could translate into possible reforms to the agricultural guest-worker program. Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, is proposing a temporary worker program that would allow up to 350,000 people into the country for low-skill jobs. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is working with Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., on a possible measure that would directly focus on the agricultural H2A program.
Translating immigration reform into 2016 politics, pro-reformer Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., suggests Republicans avoid the Iowa caucuses. Iowa is the first presidential test but the caucuses only draws a small number of Iowa voters and those who tend to be the most zealous of either party. For the GOP, those Iowans who attend the caucuses tend to be more socially conservative who rally behind the likes of Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, one of the most anti-immigrant voices in the House.
Some people skip Iowa. Thats not unheard of. McCain basically did Its tough to take positions in Iowa that dont play as well in New Hampshire. So some candidates may just say, hey, well skip it and move on, Flake said. And frankly a lot of Republicans appreciate those who come there and say, Im sorry, I just dont agree with Steve King or other voices on this issue.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., spoke Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that the GOP risks losing the White House in 2016 without some positive changes in immigration reform. Congress must deal rationally with the 11 million people who are believed to be living in the U.S. illegally.
"If we don't at least make a down payment on solving the problem and rationally dealing with the 11 million, if we become the part of self-deportation in 2015 and 2016, then the chance of winning the White House I think is almost non-existent," Graham said.
Read more:
GOP Seeks Elusive Balance on Immigration Reform in 2015