If that pie came into the country illegally I guess theyd be right. But I dont think that was their point. Instead Schumer and Pelosi were trying to convince readers that the term American" no longer means being a legal U.S. citizen.
Doubtless many readers chuckled at the headline and moved on. But given the federal government shutdown that just transpired because of this issue the jokes no longer funny.
The shutdown is over for now. In exchange for Schumers support the Senate will vote on whether to let as many as 800000 illegal immigrants stay in the U.S. And if that vote doesnt go his way theres no guarantee Schumer may not again prevent the federal government from being funded.
Meanwhile families are working hard to put the Obama recession behind them. And parents are praying a wall will soon be built to keep their kids safe from criminals coming across our border.
But instead of helping them Schumer and his liberal colleagues seem to prefer asking Americans to defer their dreams for those of illegals.
Right now there is:
- An American teenage girl in Appalachia who dreams of a great education but sits in a school that isnt delivering.
- An American factory worker who dreams of regaining work that went overseas earlier this decade.
- An American urban mom who dreams of health care for her son but has to wait in an overcrowded emergency room.
These are all dreamers. And theyre Americans. Our leaders used to know the difference.
Take former Rep. Barbara Jordan (D-TX) for example.
One of Americas great civil rights leaders Jordan was the first African-American elected to the Texas Senate since Reconstruction. She was also the first Southern black woman elected to the House of Representatives and an eminently worthy recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Jordan also served as chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform where she said some things that Schumer would benefit from considering.
For our immigration policy to make sense it is necessary to make distinctions between those who obey the law and those who violate it. One thing is very clear: Illegal immigrants are not entitled to benefits."Today however Jordans words seem to be forgotten by liberals who oppose deportation of illegal aliens support government-paid lawyers for illegals in immigration courts and call for more money to be spent on services for illegal immigrants. All of these costs are being borne by Americans. And those extra costs make it harder for Americans to realize their own dreams.
Such is the impact when politics is prioritized over the America people. Just in my own community African-Americans who are working to get back on their feet are finding it harder than ever due to the huge number of illegal immigrants who are competing for some of the same jobs.
The impact is particularly harmful to young Americans who depend on low-skilled work to earn a living and get their start up the economic ladder. Similarly many of those who have found work are discovering theyre being paid less because of the competition they now face from illegal immigrant laborers.
America has always had a great tradition of opening its arms to others in need. But that tradition never meant opening its borders. Instead Americas decisions about who to let in historically revolved around what was in the nations best interests.
And it is clear that Americas interests have not been served by amnesty and open borders.
Americans are best served when our leaders uphold the rule of law honor the process of legal immigration protect our borders and base all policy decisions on the impact they will have on Americas citizens and our future.
So when the Senate returns to this issue in the coming days I hope senators will keep in mind one thing: Our nation has always been happy to help and has always put Americans and their dreams first. Kay Coles James is the president of The Heritage Foundation. She formerly served as director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management as a member of the National
Commission on Children under President Ronald Reagan and as associate director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and as assistant secretary for public affairs at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services under President George H.W. Bush.
