As House Republican leaders moved forward with a Tuesday vote to fund the Department of Homeland Security, including the Obama administration’s unilateral action on immigration, conservative legend Phyllis Schlafly says the GOP wasted their best and, perhaps, last chance to stop what she calls illegal executive amnesty.
Schlafly is the founder of Eagle Forum. She spearheaded the fight against the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and 80s. Her most recent books include “Who Killed the American Family?” and the re-release of “A Choice Not an Echo” some 50 years after its original publication.
On Friday, Congress barely avoided a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown by approving a one-week extension of current funding. Democrats insist they only did so in exchange for a promise from House Speaker John Boehner to offer a “clean” bill to fund the department, including the administration’s immigration action through September. Boehner insists he made no such deal, but told House Republicans Tuesday morning that a vote on the clean bill would happen later in the day.
Boehner told GOP members the votes did not exist for another short-term extension and he refused to cut off funding for DHS at a time of mounting threats to the U.S. Tuesday afternoon, the clean bill was approved 257-167. All 182 Democrats supported it, as did 75 Republicans, while 167 GOP members opposed it.
Schlafly says the GOP abandoned the mission voters tasked them with in November.
“It’s an insult to everyone who voted to elect the Republicans in the last congressional election. The American people clearly voted against Obama’s illegal, unconstitutional bills of all kinds, amnesty is the main one but there are others too. The American people are absolutely against amnesty and they don’t want it funded. I just don’t understand the Republicans,” said Schlafly, who says Republicans control appropriations and ought to use that power to stop a lawless act.
“The Constitution gives the House the power of the purse and they should exercise that power of the purse by cutting off money they think is wrong,” she said. “I wish Republicans would be Republicans. That’s what we really need, people to stand up to Obama. He’s a disaster for our country and he doesn’t have our national security at heart.”
For weeks, Democrats have held their ground in insisting upon full funding of DHS or nothing at all. In the wake of Friday’s near shutdown, the House GOP leadership began targeting conservatives who refused to vote for legislation containing money for the Obama immigration program. The American Action Network (AAN) was founded by former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and is still closely connected to House GOP brass. It launched television ads against three conservatives and digital campaigns against several others.
“While threats grow, conservatives in Congress want to beef up our security, enhance cybersecurity and put real teeth in immigration enforcement. It’s the right message to send to our enemies. But some in Washington are willing to put our security at risk by jeopardizing critical security funding. That’s the wrong message to send to our enemies. Tell Congressman Tim Huelskamp to fund Homeland Security. Our safety must come first,” said an AAN advertisement.
In addition to Huelskamp, R-Kansas, the TV ads targeted Reps. Jim Bridenstine (R-Oklahoma) and Jim Jordan (R-Ohio).
Schlafly says the ad got one thing right.
“It is a matter of national security. There’s new information out on how many crimes are committed by these illegal aliens, who get in here one way or another and who are let in by Obama,” said Schlafly.
When we let him go ahead with his illegal amnesty, it’s an offense to everybody. These illegal aliens are committing all sorts of crimes, from murder to drunk driving. We’re just looking for some Republicans to stand up and fulfill what they believe,” she said.
But there are larger issues at work, according to Schalfly. She says the illegal immigrants championed by Democrats are very different than immigrants of past generations and that ought to matter in determining whether they’re allowed to stay.
“They don’t want to be assimilated into America. I think anybody who’s let into this country for permanent residency should want to be an American. If they don’t want to be an American and abide by our Constitution and laws, we shouldn’t let them in,” said Schlafly.
How does she expect voters to respond to Republicans giving Democrats what they want on DHS funding?
“I think it’s going to be acute disappointment and they may retaliate in the next election. We’re hoping we’ll have a replacement for Obama in the next election, but giving Obama what he wants right now is not what the American people want,” she said.
The immigration issue is one of multiple reasons why Schlafly is concerned about 2016. She recently made headlines for chastising the Republican Party for trying to arrange a coronation of former Gov. Jeb Bush, R-Florida, as the GOP nominee. It’s a charge she readily repeats and says it’s a strategy that has resulted in disaster for the GOP.
“They’ve been trying to have a coronation for their candidate every time and they’ve been successful in getting their candidate nominated, but they’ve been a series of losers and we’re tired of their losers. They pick globalists and internationalists the American people do not want. So I’m hoping that the grassroots will rise up,” said Schalfly.
She says Bush appears to be the latest choice of GOP leaders but she considers him unacceptable on critical issues.
“On the two hottest issues or the grassroots, he’s wrong. They are amnesty and Common Core. The American people at the grassroots do not want amnesty, period, and they do not want Common Core to take over the teaching of our kids in public school,” said Schlafly.
Schlafly says she is not endorsing any candidate for the Republican nomination. She says Govs. Scott Walker, R-Wisconsin, and Bobby Jindal, R-Louisiana, are the potential candidates who impressed her most at the recent Conservative Political Action Confrence.
