If you believe that the best possible political outcome for Sen. Marco Rubio R-Fla. is that he establishes himself as the face of Republican efforts to reform immigration but then Democrats ultimately kill immigration reform then yesterday was a great day for Marco Rubio.
While leading Democrats had hinted for days that they would not be supportive of a new border security amendment that Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas outlined last week once Cornyn did finally release the actual legislative text yesterday Democrats not only rejected Cornyns amendment they refused to even negotiate with him. We cannot accept the Cornyn amendment Sen. Chuck Schumer D-N.Y. told Talking Points Memo.Ive told John that already. The way it would change the triggers would jeopardize the path to citizenship. You should tell the people youre lobbying that that is not going to happen. There may be other amendments dealing with the border that we can accept but not that one.
No room to negotiate?
Both the existing S. 744 bill and the Cornyn amendment make the path to citizenship dependent on four specific security benchmarks being met. S. 744 requires: 1) asubstantially deployed border security plan; 2) a substantially completed border fence; 3) implementation of E-verify; and 4) an electronic exit system at sea and air ports. Cornyn requires: 1) 100 percent border surveillance; 2) 90 percent border apprehension; 3) implementation of E-verify; and 4) a biometric entry and exit system at sea and air ports.
Democrats seem most upset about Cornyns second trigger. 90 percent trigger is totally unacceptable Sen. Dick Durbin D-Ill. told National Journal. But that 90 percent number is easily fudgeable much more so than the completion of a border fence which anyone could go down to the border and see. If a future Department of Homeland Security Secretary said the government was apprehending 90 percent of attempted border crossings who could possibly have contrary information?
Furthermore pro-amnesty Republicans have been falling over themselves in an effort to stress that the Cornyn amendment is just an opening offer. Rubio told Sean Hannity it was an excellent place to start the conversation. Would Durbin and the Democrats except 80 percent apprehension rate? 75 percent? These are all made up numbers that no one could really challenge in court anyway so who cares?
Immigration end game
Even if Democrats do end up rejecting the Cornyn amendment S. 744 will still pass the Senate -- but barely. The House will then have every excuse in the world to completely ignore it and pass their own smaller immigration bills none of which will have any path to citizenship.
If that happens Rubios big immigration gamble will have paid off. Without any messy amnesty implementation to defend hed be the clear frontrunner for the 2016 nomination.
If you believe that the best possible political outcome for Sen. Marco Rubio R-Fla. is that he establishes himself as the face of Republican efforts to reform immigration but then Democrats ultimately kill immigration reform then yesterday was a great day for Marco Rubio.
While leading Democrats had hinted for days that they would not be supportive of a new border security amendment that Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas outlined last week once Cornyn did finally release the actual legislative text yesterday Democrats not only rejected Cornyns amendment they refused to even negotiate with him. We cannot accept the Cornyn amendment Sen. Chuck Schumer D-N.Y. told Talking Points Memo.Ive told John that already. The way it would change the triggers would jeopardize the path to citizenship. You should tell the people youre lobbying that that is not going to happen. There may be other amendments dealing with the border that we can accept but not that one.
No room to negotiate?
Both the existing S. 744 bill and the Cornyn amendment make the path to citizenship dependent on four specific security benchmarks being met. S. 744 requires: 1) asubstantially deployed border security plan; 2) a substantially completed border fence; 3) implementation of E-verify; and 4) an electronic exit system at sea and air ports. Cornyn requires: 1) 100 percent border surveillance; 2) 90 percent border apprehension; 3) implementation of E-verify; and 4) a biometric entry and exit system at sea and air ports.
Democrats seem most upset about Cornyns second trigger. 90 percent trigger is totally unacceptable Sen. Dick Durbin D-Ill. told National Journal. But that 90 percent number is easily fudgeable much more so than the completion of a border fence which anyone could go down to the border and see. If a future Department of Homeland Security Secretary said the government was apprehending 90 percent of attempted border crossings who could possibly have contrary information?
Furthermore pro-amnesty Republicans have been falling over themselves in an effort to stress that the Cornyn amendment is just an opening offer. Rubio told Sean Hannity it was an excellent place to start the conversation. Would Durbin and the Democrats except 80 percent apprehension rate? 75 percent? These are all made up numbers that no one could really challenge in court anyway so who cares?
Immigration end game
Even if Democrats do end up rejecting the Cornyn amendment S. 744 will still pass the Senate -- but barely. The House will then have every excuse in the world to completely ignore it and pass their own smaller immigration bills none of which will have any path to citizenship.
If that happens Rubios big immigration gamble will have paid off. Without any messy amnesty implementation to defend hed be the clear frontrunner for the 2016 nomination.
