It’s not often these days that I get a chance to praise any
Republicans in the U.S. Congress, let alone Majority Leader Eric Cantor (VA)
and his Republican Party colleague from Virginia, House Judiciary Committee
Chairman Bob Goodlatte, and today I find no exception.
According to Politico, Rep.s Cantor and Goodlatte are
putting together legislation presently titled, the Kids Act, which would carve
a legal path for young immigrants who were brought into the United States
unlawfully as children. As
Politico pointed out, the intent of the tentatively titled Kids Act is
similar to the DREAM
Act, a piece of legislation that would allow young eligible undocumented immigrants
to obtain U.S. citizenship.
According to a statement released by Rep. Goodlatte, “These
children came here through no fault of their own and many of them know no other
home than the United States.” This can’t be a congressional Republican
speaking, it makes too much sense…
Goodlatte later stated, “This is one component of
immigration reform — any successful reform plan must improve our legal
immigration programs, strengthen border security and the interior enforcement
of our immigration laws, and find a way to fairly deal with those who are currently
in the country unlawfully.” This
can’t be, two statements that sound half-way reasonable!
The only problem is neither of these two newly minted
champions of sensible immigration reform were enthused enough to vote for the
DREAM Act in late 2010. More importantly, any such legislation is
dead-on-arrival in the current U.S. House of Representatives where the only
good bill that’s passed is no bill at all.
Of course, both Cantor and Goodlatte are no doubt fully
aware that immigration reform stands about as much chance passing the House of
Representatives as President Obama has in winning over the hearts and minds of
America’s conservative constituency.
The point is that instead of Goodlatte and Cantor taking on
a true leadership position and doing the right thing by cajoling their party
into line to pass significant legislation for the greater good of the country,
each man has chosen to play the game of cynical politics by crafting a piece of
legislation that has little chance of passing, but that makes them look relatively
good in the minds of their constituents and Americans as a whole.
America’s star shines a little less bright because of today’s
congress.
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