The
Capitol is seen early Monday as Congress returns to work following the
Independence Day recess, in Washington, July 8, 2013. Republicans and
Democrats face potentially incendiary fights over nominations,
unresolved disputes over student loans and the farm bill, and the
uncertainty of whether lawmakers have the political will to rewrite the
nation's immigration laws. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
By ERICA WERNER
WASHINGTON (AP) - House Republicans passed legislation late Friday to
address the crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border by sending migrant youths
back home without hearings, after winning over conservatives with tough
new provisions that could lead to deporting more than half a million
immigrants whom the Obama administration granted temporary work permits.
President Barack Obama condemned the Republican action and said he'd
act unilaterally, as best he could.
A day after GOP leaders pulled the border bill from the floor in a
chaotic retreat, tea party lawmakers were enthusiastically on board with
the new $694 million version and a companion measure that would shut
off a program created by Obama granting work permits to immigrants
brought here illegally as kids. The second bill also seemed designed to
prevent the more than 700,000 people who've already gotten work permits
under the program from renewing them, ultimately making them subject to
deportation.
The spending bill passed 223-189 late Friday, with only four
Republicans voting "no" and one Democrat voting "yes." A vote on the
second measure was expected later in the night.
"It's dealing with the issue that the American people care about more
than any other, and that is stopping the invasion of illegal foreign
nationals into our country," said Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn. "And we
got to yes."
But Obama said no. "They're not even trying to solve the problem,"
the president said. "I'm going to have to act alone, because we do not
have enough resources."
Obama said he would reallocate resources where he could, while making
clear his options were limited without congressional action.
The moves in the House came on what was to have been the first day of
lawmakers' five-week summer recess, delayed by GOP leaders after their
vote plans unexpectedly collapsed on Thursday. Senators had already left
Washington after killing their own legislation on the border crisis, so
there was no prospect of reaching a final deal. But three months before
midterm elections, House Republicans were determined to show that they,
at least, could take action to address the crisis involving tens of
thousands of unaccompanied minors fleeing violence and poverty in
Central America to cross illegally into South Texas.
"It would be irresponsible and unstatesmanlike to head home for the
month without passing a bill to address this serious, present crisis on
the border," said Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., chairman of the Appropriations
Committee.
To reach a deal, GOP leaders had to satisfy the demands of a group of
a dozen or more conservative lawmakers who were meeting behind the
scenes with Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and
taking their cues from outside groups such as the Heritage Foundation
that opposed earlier versions of the legislation.
These lawmakers objected to sending any more money to Obama without a
strong stance against his two-year-old deportation relief program,
which Republicans blame for causing the current border crisis by
creating the perception that once here, young migrants would be allowed
to stay - a point the administration disputes.
House GOP leaders agreed earlier in the week to hold a separate vote
to prevent Obama from expanding the deportation relief program, but that
didn't satisfy conservatives who held out for stronger steps.
Thursday night, those lawmakers huddled in the basement of the
Capitol with new House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., until coming
up with a deal ending funding for the deportation relief program as well
as making changes to the border bill aimed at ensuring the faster
removal of the Central American migrant youths.
Friday morning, as the full Republican caucus met in the Capitol, conservative lawmakers were declaring victory.
"I'm very satisfied," said Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, the leading immigration hardliner in the House.
In the end Republicans only lost four of the most conservative
members on the vote: Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Broun of
Georgia, Stephen Fincher of Tennessee and Walter Jones of North
Carolina. The only Democrat to support the bill was moderate Rep. Henry
Cuellar of Texas.
The GOP plans met with howls of protest from immigration advocates
and Democrats, who warned Republicans that they'd be alienating Latino
voters for years to come.
"If you tell people that you think they're criminals, that you think
they're simply bringing diseases, that they're bringing drugs, then you
treat them as invaders, they kind of think you don't like them," said
Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill. "They're going to believe you don't like
them, and they're not going to vote for you."
The new GOP border bill adds $35 million more for the National Guard,
which would go to reimburse states for guard deployments. Like earlier
versions, it would increase spending for overwhelmed border agencies,
add more immigration judges and detention spaces, and alter a 2008
anti-trafficking law to permit Central American kids to be sent back
home without deportation hearings. That process is currently permitted
only for unaccompanied minors arriving from Mexico and Canada.
The bill would pay for strapped border agencies only for the final
two months of this budget year, falling far short of the $3.7 billion
Obama initially requested to deal with the crisis into next year. More
than 57,000 unaccompanied youths have arrived since October, mostly from
El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala, plus tens of thousands more
migrants traveling as families.
___
Associated Press writers Donna Cassata, David Espo, Alan Fram,
Stephen Ohlemacher, Jim Kuhnhenn and Andrew Taylor contributed to this
report.
Hi everybody, this is Martin Valdez back for yet another blog post. This one is about the ridiculous new trend of setting yourself on fire for the apparent 'Fire Challenge.' You are to pour rubbing alcohol on yourself, then set yourself ablaze! Oh wait, you have to upload your video to YouTube of course or else it is pointless. So glad to see that our youth are doing something so productive.