The next ten days will decide whether congressional Republicans can unify behind a strategy to resist President Obama executive orders allowing millions of illegal immigrants to stay and work in the U.S. or whether the GOP will splinter over differences in strategy.
The federal government is currently funded through December 11. By then, the Republican-controlled House and Democratic-led Senate must come to agreement on legislation to keep the government fully open. Both House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell have promised vigorous pushback for Obama’s unilateral approach to immigration policy but both have also vowed never to allow another government shutdown.
However, Federation for American Immigration Reform Communications Director Bob Dane says targeting the funding for Obama’s policy makes the most sense and believes many conservatives in Congress agree.
“I think a lot of members consider that the first and the best step. The downside is Republicans are worried about being blamed for a shutdown of the government. But I think they need to remember that it will be the Democrats in the Senate and the president who opt for a federal shutdown, not the Republicans. The House will have done its job. They will have presented a funding bill and stopped a lawless action and I don’t think they have anything to apologize for,” said Dane.
Dane says he is fully aware of recent history and how Republicans have taken most of the blame in recent government funding impasses, but he contends there is something far bigger at stake in this fight than just policy and appropriations.
“No member of Congress, whether they’re in the House or the Senate, whether they are Republican, Democrat or independent, none of these members can let this usurpation of power be left unchecked. They may disagree about the issue. Certainly, we all have different approaches to the immigration issue. But in Congress, regardless of political stripes, they’re all members of the same club. The one thing they should all agree on is the club rules and this president has violated those,” said Dane.
If Congress does not confront Obama over what most Republicans see as an unconstitutional act, Dane fears Obama will only be encouraged to take similar action again on immigration and other policies. He says starting the fight now at the funding stage could be critical in the months ahead.
“It’s a necessary step for Congress to demonstrate that they’ve exhausted all of their remedies to restore their power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization under Article I should impeachment become a necessary and a next step. It’s sort of like if your dog has been barking. Before you can go to the judge, you’ve got to try to work it out with your neighbor and exhaust all remedies before you go for the big guns,” said Dane.
Dane says he is hopeful the Republicans can come to a consensus this week on the right way to proceed and demonstrate a unified front, but he contends that’s easier said than done.
“You’ve got a bit of division between Republican leadership who would just as soon that Obama’s amnesty goes through and they have a clean plate to work with legislatively in the next year and the rank and file conservatives, who want very much want this action stopped,” said Dane, who blames both parties for the state of our immigration system.
He says Democrats are determined to put millions of government-dependent people on the path to citizenship and the voting booth. He accuses GOP leaders of pushing the business agenda of importing cheap labor to the U.S. Where any GOP consensus can be found will be seen in the next week and a half, but Dane says what happens will reverberate throughout the Republican Party for a long time.
“I think the Republicans are going to have to find consensus on what the devil they’re going to do. They’ve got to keep a civil war within their own party from happening. John Boehner and Mitch McConnell (are) very, very hesitant to fight Obama on this, far less than the rank and file,” said Dane.
