Congratulations to the far left AND far right - the obstinance of both guarantees the failure of the whole.
2
We have ourselves to blame. The electoral college and giving 2 senators to each state is stupid. Several southern states- AL, SC, LA, MS and AK are effectively economic sink holes that generate little tax revenue and get 10-20 dollars back in services for every day of income tax they send DC. The coasts send $1 and get back 50 cents, yet they produce the majority of the wealth. They have the same two Senators. Base allocation of congressional seats with State GDP
2
The Electoral College prevents the majority in the country from rule by those in the big cities. It also pushes Congress towards compromise, rather than jumping on the next best thing some tax funded by some advocacy group.
If you want to make real progress, review the programs supported by no-labels.org and the Congressional problem solvers coalition.
2
Trump has only one real objective and that's to get the taxpayers to pony up $25 billion dollars for a wall which won't ever be built but will make him look good to his uninformed and ignorant base.
The legislation that failed to pass would "find the wall?" I remember the President promised that we wouldn't have to pay for it. Am I mistaken?
1
The failure of the Republican majorities in both Houses of Congress to pass any form of immigration legislation clearly highlights their continued desire to maintain the status quo in this area.
Accordingly, if you approve of the current state of affairs and want these immigration problems to continue within the U.S. then the answer is simple – vote Republican in the forthcoming fall election.
1
The GOP has repeatedly demonstrated for the past 16 months that it is incapable or governing, and incapable of passing legislation other than tax giveaways thet overwhelmingly favor the political donor class. For the sake of the country, they need to be turned out of power in November, and kept out of power for as long as possible.
5
I guess no one realized my previous post was tongue in cheek. I suggested that the Dems could send condolences to the trump for the lack of support he received from house republicans. They could say that they agreed that his own party had let him down and they could help him pass his bill with a few tweaks. all he has to do is set a date and they will forgo the holiday break and were ready to join forces and show the repubs how things could be resolved.
Boy that Paul Ryan sure knows how to run a Republican caucus better than John Boehner, doesn't he? All they need to do is call it the "Tax Cut Border Bill" and every Republican will vote for it.
2
Sensing Trump's mood and priorities, the Congressional Republicans too seem uninterested in fixing the immigration issue, specially keeping in view the November midterms when they think it will be a highly polarising issue for their benefit.
7
Pathetically nauseating how Trump and the GOP still blame Obama on their shortcomings when they control both House and Senate. It simply illustrates that the Republicans are great when; dismantling vital services for the people; sacrificing the middle class , elderly and poor to fulfill their sordid agendas; killing the environment; providing for the rich, corporations and Wall Street but are deplorable when it comes to governing, accountability and doing what’s right for the people. They couldn’t govern themselves out of a paper bag and the circus show continues with Trumpo as the head clown.
The mid-term elections can’t come fast enough.
21
Why do Democrats refer to the chaos at the border as "Immigration" - Arriving on a boat to Ellis Island to be legally processed - that was IMMIGRATION. What we have now is pandemonium. These people aren't fleeing anything- If it's that bad in Central America then why is the FoodNetWork and Travel Channel down there all the time filming shows? They just want to come here, have multiple kids then start collecting government checks and other freebies.
9
And speaking of boats, when Trump gets his wall built with our tax dollars, not Mexico's, they will be coming in boats again. We have two very long coastlines and many freighters coming into busy ports. Probably some airplanes landing in pastures too.
2
Hmmm. I guess I will have to start watching the FoodNetWork and the Travel Channel to get my "real" news. But until then, I'm sure the individuals that are fleeing Central America are not the same individuals that are participating in, and benefiting from, the shows that the networks you are referencing are filming.
You don't have to quote entire tweets. You're just amplifying his message.
3
So the Republicans do not know what they want, Trump says one thing today, another tomorrow depending upon which donor was last in his office, the Dreamers are still in the limbo Trump but them in last year and the administration is trying its best to traumatize new Dreamers by still not uniting them with their families after illegal, inhumane, in-American separation at the border. And all this from the party that thinks even unborn life is so important that abortions should be banned. The Republicans are all characters right out of Lewis Carroll, d thinking six impossible things before breakfast.
2
Republicans can't agree on a plan to overhaul our immigration laws.
Part of that is because the dominant Republican position is inconsistent.
The problem is that Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua are overpopulated, and their populations are growing at about 2% per year.
Without controlling population growth, something bad has to happen. In some places (South Sudan and Yemen for example) it is outright starvation.
More often it is simply the decay of social order.
The four countries I mentioned send a steady stream of immigrants to the US seeking asylum.
We need a more efficient means of dealing with potential asylum allowing us to deal with the most egregious cases.
But the number of potential asylum seekers is like the drops in the ocean. It is too large to be solved by our policies which require "due process."
There are 1.2 billion Africans, for example, who might claim asylum since almost all countries in Africa have corrupt governments.
And the population is expected to double by 2050.
Thus the only realistic solution involve not just a stopping of illegal immigration, but also providing family planning services including abortion to women in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua.
This should be regarded as a human rights issue. The US could apply effective pressure making these countries adopt family planning policies.
This is needed to complement the other solutions which Republicans talk about, including say e-verify.
12
And it's unfortunate that there is not more unity around what you propose. Each political party only gets part of it. The Democrats have it right by supporting family planning, domestically and internationally, but they generally stick their heads in the sand regarding illegal immigration. The Trump Republicans are the exact opposite, acknowledging (sometimes in needlessly inflammatory manner) that we must enforce immigration law and cannot have unlimited population growth via immigration to North America, but stick their heads in the sand regarding family planning.
4
Democrats should make the most of this moment. Democrat leaders should send a conciliatory letter to Trump saying it's too bad the republicans let him down. They can say Mr President with a few minor twitches we can help you get this passed despite the obstructionist rejections by extreme right wing republicans. Dems can show they want to get involved to aid Donnie get the immigration bill he so desperately wants.
1
If cocaine was legalized and the backs of the cartels and the ecosystem of gangs they support were broken and we focused on the economic development instead of exploitation of Central America we would see a tremendous decline in asylum seekers. Immigration would not be a viable wedge issue.
10
"The defeat provided the latest display of the Republican Party’s disunity in Congress on immigration."
Forget unity. There shouldn't even be a discussion about this. History has repeatedly proven that rewarding illegal immigration only results in more of it. From Reagan's 1986 amnesty to Obama's 2012 executive order protecting the very illegal aliens that are the focus of this legislation, the result has always been the same. Anyone who defines success as going from 5 million illegal aliens when the Immigration Reform and Control Act passed 32 years ago to 11-20 million today has an interesting definition of it. Add to it the massive influx from Central America that rages on after five years with no end in sight because of Obama's pandering to Hispanic voters. If that doesn't happen, neither does everything that liberals are enraged at Trump about. The bad part about one having to clean-up others' mess is that there is a very good possibility they don't like how it's done. The present situation being a case in point. Of course Democrats have no solutions of their own to fix the problem and are perfectly content allowing it to continue. As a result they deserve zero place at the table and voice. They're nothing but enablers. One way or another it's time to end the insanity. Enough is enough.
6
I'm not for throwing millions of people out of the country. I appreciate hard work and feel that it should not be punished. However, I would suspend citizenship for all until the heroin and meth smuggling issues are resolved in our favor. Our families matter, too.
3
Maybe instead Americans could reconsider their decision to become heroin and meth addicts? The violence and damage caused by the narcotics trade and the guns and money flowing south into Mexico pose a much greater threat of destabilization to that country than illegal immigration (largely non-Mexican, btw) poses to the US.
2
How about we solve our own addiction problems. Then there wouldn't be heroin and meth smuggling issues. And by the way, most of the drugs come through the ports, not overland.
2
The only way to reduce the illegal drug market and its violence is to take out the profit. We learned that when we quit Prohibition in 1933, but have forgotten.
I do not see anything at all strange in the results of this vote.
It should be perfectly clear by now that the GOP is incapable of governing themselves out of a paper bag!
A fish rots from the head down. We are supposed to be a nation of laws, three branches of government, and a living manual on how to do this for "We The People" called the Constitution.
The head of the executive branch does not follow said constitution for a couple of reasons:
1. He has never really read it with any real understanding.
2. If he did read it he didn't agree with it because he believes he could have gotten a 'better deal' out of the mother country, England, again because of his superior deal making skills.
3. He is still trying to figure out the money angles so he can continue to practice his superior bilking skills, with the US Mint as his bank backing.
The Congress follows only certain sections of the Manual as suits their needs at the moment. A guy from Kentucky decided that a sitting president should not be able to fill a vacant seat on the Supreme Court because there was over a year to go in said presidents term, and that was too close to an election. The result, a year of no action really on the Court, because 4 to 4 does not decide anything! Is there anyone out there with any sense that believes Mr. Kentucky would have reasoned differently had Scalia died on Feb. 1, 2013?
Lastly, the renown SCOTUS. Just like FOX News, fair and balanced. Hey! What's that huge thumb doing there?
14
Trump is a disappointment as president.
He had one correct idea. The US needs to stop illegal immigration. Unfortunately, Hillary Clinton focused on showing that Trump was guilty of sexual harassment, so the details of his policies were never discussed.
Trump was vague when he discussed a woman's right to choose family planning and perhaps abortion.
But when he was elected, he pursued the standard Republican line of regarding abortion as murder.
This makes it impossible for Trump to formulate an immigration overhaul that makes sense.
Yes, one component should be e-verify, expedited hearings so that those who cross the border are immediately sent back, and perhaps a wall, although this is the least palatable of his suggestions.
But we also need a restructuring of trade with Latin America along the following lines:
Access to family planning and abortion is a fundamental human right.
The US should impose heavy tariffs on those countries that do not respect this right.
We have sufficient economic power to make Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua provide family planning for their people and achieve zero population growth.
It is the exploding population which causes the rampant crime in these countries.
To do this, we must also adopt a one- or two-child policy in the US.
It is no longer acceptable for citizens of planet earth to have more than two children.
The world is on a collision course with global warming caused by too much population growth.
4
The Democrats could have pulled a surprise and voted for a bill that gives some of what they want. That would have backed the GOP into a corner, and given the Dems a boost in the upcoming elections. But instead of compromising, it's all or nothing. As it turns out, it's nothing. Eventually the voters will get tired of this, and they won't discriminate between the parties.
6
You are right. We should take the issue off the table and let the GOP run on whatever principles they have left.
You have to give Trump credit for having a clear and steady hand at the wheel as he skillfully guided the immigration bill to a successful conclusion.
13
If the Republican leaders were to craft an actual moderate compromise, with full participation of Democrats in writing the bill, they actually could get something passed. We are at a crisis point where the party that is in charge (for now) refuses to compromise - not even for the good of the nation.
17
At least there is a little ray of sunshine in this dark time in OUR United States of America.
Any immigration bill passed right now would be a disaster. We do not need any more disasters. Just hang tight until WE THE PEOPLE elect a Socially Conscious U.S. Congress/Senate that actually wants to create a fair immigration system. It's not that hard - as soon as we get the traitors out of OUR governments at every level.
34
thank you, l am a 84 years old immigrant, and a proud American from 1960, we have to get the traitors out of OUR government
5
Every organization reflects its leadership in some way, good or bad. The Republican Party displays a totally mixed up bowl of cabbage, weeds, dandelions, and poison ivy. In other words it reflects its present leadership in the House, the Senate, and yes the White House.
34
In recent days, the American people made it loud and clear that they consider Trump's separating families and caging immigrant children not just unacceptable, but a crime against humanity.
Republicans in both the Senate and the House have the barbaric victimization of immigrants on their hands and the stench of Donald Trump on their breath. They thought they could bargain with the devil and beat him as his villainy. They not only thought wrong, they bargained their honor, integrity, and decency away, in exchange for the contempt of America.
No one will mourn the death of the Republican Party. Apparently, not even Trump who has used the party to protect his criminal enterprises. (Is that too strong, too blunt, too truthful, for the NYT to print?)
49
So, explain it to me like I'm a 5-year-old: Exactly why is it the Dems' fault that immigration reform doesn't get done?
Is the moon really made of green cheese?
Is the Earth flat?
22
Because none of them voted for it. Simple enough?
4
Due to current filibuster rules (the ones that have been preserved and not yet jettisoned by first, Harry Reid; and then, Mitch McConnell), you still need 60 votes to pass legislation in the Senate. Any single act or legislation must pass both the House of Representatives and the Senate and then be signed by the president in order to become law. The Republicans have 51 Senators and the Democrats 49. So you need at least 9 Democrats in the Senate to pass any legislation, including immigration reform.
3
Except for Supreme Court judges and tax cuts. These only take a simple majority. THEY change the rules when it suits them.
Nearly as many Republicans voted against as for the bill. Can we hope for the same on Kennedy's replacement, to delay long enough to get past the midterms?
29
I don't think that is likely, but what an inspiring idea.
I don't think this is likely, but what an inspiring idea.
1
This November, for serious reasons too numerous to record here, the Republicans must be removed from power before they completely destroy the United States. They are incapable of governing.
62
There is a point of view that says that the republicans and acting as they we intended to by our constitution and that is to debate among themselves, try to compromise and vote!! Democrats on the other hand vote together as a block as instructed to by their leadership!! No debate, no compromise and no give and take!! I have a feeling that if we took away the party labels, our reps would work as they did for much of my life time of 77 years!! Talk over party lines, wheel and deal, play golf or cards together finding a compromise n order to get things done!! There's plenty of blame to go around but we need them to look past themselves and their party leaders and work for US!!
8
Unfortunately the bill was a poison pill.
Funny how Republicans all voted in a block when it came to anything related to President Obama.
6
The Republican bills were fundamentally flawed since they did not include nationwide implementation of eVerify which prohibits unscrupulous from hiring illegal aliens instead of US citizens.
Sadly, the Democrats who under FDR, Truman, JFK, and LBJ, who used to support the working class which are the people who mostly lose their jobs to illegal aliens, seem not to be interested in any legislation that would protect working class jobs of US citizens. eVerify would solve that problem.
15
E-Verify would be the cheapest and most effective deterrent to border crossings and visa overstays and the fact that neither party seems very interested shows that both parties are beholden to business interests who want cheap and desperate workers who won't complain about unsafe and unhealthy working conditions, mandatory overtime without overtime pay, no health insurance or paid sick leave. In addition, Democrats are afraid of losing Hispanic citizens' votes and those who they want to gain citizenship.
2
A promise was made to the Dreamers - it needs to be kept, or the US government - and thereby the Country - will be seen as liars and cheats. "Ask what you can do for your country".
13
Who made that promise? A politician?
The Dreamers are hopelessly bitter. Better to tie citizenship with achievement, especially academic. Let's not give away something so important for free. They will lose respect for us if we do.
2
Clearly is happy with the confusion he caused. Even though he sabotaged the bill with his mixed messages, he will still blame Democrats for it's failure. Then he can continue to demand a border wall. This is what psychopaths do. They create chaos and watch people squirm. That is their only goal. This is no way to lead a country.
35
Trump will blame the democrats.
9
More wailing about the wall soon to be tweeted. Donald, face it, you are never getting the wall.
16
This is the kind of "Art of the Deal" we should expect from a man who bankrupted casinos. Remember when he bragged about bringing his business prowess to DC. The GOP is officially the party of moral and fiscal bankruptcy, and we the people are the reverse ATM they are robbing blind. No one in either party should be able to draw a paycheck or take a vacation until they figure out how to work together to do their job. Republican, Democrat, Independent, Socialist, Green party, Tea party, Frat party, ect, call yourself whatever you want. If you are an elected official you work for the people. If they can't figure that out, it's time for the American people to show up in November and remind them with our votes.
60
Yeah, Mr. President, this is ALL THE DEMOCRATS' FAULT (ouch, my fingers!). Just keep telling yourself that.
33
Nobody wants the wall. That’s the first thing that has to go.
The Dreamers need protection and a viable way to become citizens. That’s two.
I think every thoughtful American, no matter what party affiliation, should take a knee at every Fourth of July commemoration next week. What a travesty to even think of celebrating this nation’s birth in the face of Trump’s racist acts!
America. We are better than this.
68
You must have missed the last election. A LOT of people seem to want a wall and they voted at the polls for one.
3
Sadly, we are not "better than this." Judging by our elected office holders, this is precisely who we are: racist, corrupt, venal and petty. This is not a Fourth for celebration.
1
We were. Not now.
2
There is no Republican Party anymore, they should rename it for Trump and call it the Extra Greedy Organization or the EGO Party for short.
This party will never treat people like human beings so there will never be an immigration bill, period.
73
A couple of days ago I heard someone on NPR refer to it as the Trump Party. A Freudian slip?
11
Epilogue to 'Art of the Deal.'
Let the blame-tweeting begin.
28
The Founding Fathers must be wondering where they went wrong.
34
John Duffy: I'm waiting for the Founding Fathers to send a message from the beyond like this one: "We really, really screwed up with that Electoral College thing."
21
They went wrong by enshrining White Supremacy in the Constitution. 150 years after the end of the Civil War, it still has a powerful grip on the nation.
4
Tariffs and immigration are two dog whistle racism issues that feed the basest of Trump's base. Trump's pro-business, tax cut/deregulation Republicans don't support Trump's trade war and his immigration threats because both hurt our economy - but they won't speak out for fear of unleashing the racists against the rank and file GOP in November.
Trump will wait until after midterms.
29
I'm glad this failed bc if it had passed it wd have given the Trump Administration power to keep immigrant families indefinetly instead of the legal 20 days. It also wd have funded a $25 billion wall!
21
Trump will NOW tweet he didn't like it anyway, and the Dems in the Senate would have stopped it, and .....
29
couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch.
20
Come on Trump supporters, start to acknowledge the obvious: Trump has NO talent for negotiating deals.
Soon the Dems will take over the House, and he won't have obtained ANY funding for his wall, he actually won't even have increased border security (something Dems would have done under Obama, if a handful of Republicans wouldn't have blocked the bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill at the very last minute).
He's already telling us that he needs more Republicans, but more to accomplish WHAT? The GOP doesn't need any Dems in the House, and yet they don't do anything. They're totally incompetent.
Trump promised to obtain good deals for America, but as his first 2 years in office have shown: he still didn't get ONE single deal with his OWN party.
How do you think will he get deals with our international enemies ... ?
He's a fake president. All that he does is tweeting, issuing a totally unnecessary travel ban, and temporarily jailing 2,000 toddlers, and that's it.
Okay, he packs Courts with conservatives and you like that. I understand.
But that's the only thing the GOP accomplished - apart from already doubling the deficit whereas Obama cut it by 2/3, and giving a huge handout to the GOP's wealthiest donors through their tax cutting bill (which also destroyed the health insurance of 13 million Americans - WITHOUT replacing it, as Obamacare did when it destroyed existing plans, so these people now don't have any HC at all).
When are you going to wake up?
95
What a mess. Is there any sane yet actually possible way out of this or will everyone just throw up their hands and go home for July 4?
17
Tsk, tsk, those pesky Democrats must have been at it again.
12
The Goodlatte Bill(s) are both amnesty bills, no matter how you cut it. If the first one didn't pass, the second one wasn't going to pass.
Amnesty for DACA isn't impossible, but the Democrats will either have to win an election or put in more stop-gaps against aliens crossing our borders illegally, like birthright reform.
14
Have you ever jaywalked and gotten off with a slap on the wrist? If so, you've received amnesty. Try coming up with a less-programmed expression for the concept of mercy.
27
This was a compromise bill - I agree that the Republicans didn't involve the Democrats during these negotiations but just for their ego, the Democrats went against the bill. If the progressive minded, left leaning, liberals have any sense of compassion, they should have taken this deal and fought the rest of the battle once they get (if they get) the House and the Senate. But not taking a deal when you have everyone on board is pure foolishness. I blame the Democrats on this one and their fantasy of doing a Comprehensive Immigration Reform during these extremely uncertain times when families are getting troubled by the immigration policies of the Trump Administration.
1
We didn't want to waste your tax dollars on Trump's idiotic wall. You're welcome...
27
no taxation without representation and no votes without a full debate. why on earth should the democrats vote for something they weren't even a part of, are you high?
17
Anyone mentionioning Democratic not cooperating are just warping again history after the years of Republican obstruction , which I never could find out how it could in anyway have been moral or legal to behave as they did.
3
Our generation of Boomers has really screwed everything up...let's wipe the slate clean and elect a new generation of legislators representative of America and its values, beholden to no one and bringing fresh,new ideas to the table. A breathe of fresh air would bring such relief!
14
“Don’t trust anyone over 30.” Bob Dylan.
First let me express my deep joy that the NYT is now monitoring and screening reader comments for CIVILITY. This should now be applied to any future publication of almost any of our POTUS' tweets, allowing readers such as myself to begin some important gastrointestinal recovery, the cause of which our physicians have been unable to quite put their fingers on...
Having said that, why would anyone suspect that our president (urrp!) could be a positive critical influence in the development of ANY legislation which might help ANYONE who is not Caucasian and earning less than $10 mil annually?
32
I don't think Trump wants to resolve any key immigration issues. Whenever there is any progress in a given direction he sabotages it by taking positions contrary to what's being proposed. So the debating and thrashing on immigration will just continue, giving him a platform to continually whip up anti-immigrant sentiments. The immigration issues have become a pawn in his game, with no regard to the human costs on those caught up in it. Now that's truly sad !
32
Whatever bill the Republicans put together it will be rejected by Democrats if it includes money for the wall, and an end to chain migration and the visa lottery.
10
Don't we need to keep chain migration going until Melania's parents are home free? Or has that already happened?
15
Assumes facts not in evidence. The Republicans, quite clearly, are incapable of putting together an immigration bill. It’s like saying, “Whatever health care bill the Republicans put together” or, well, anything, really, other than blowing up the deficit by slashing taxes on the rich. (We know they can do that. Like a six-year old with one magic trick.)
3
Dems are used to compromise with Republicans and each other, which is how we got the ACA. Republicans can’t even work with each other, as this failure shows.
301-101 is the largest margin of defeat for a House Bill that I can remember. What could be the point of allowing such a vote? Are they sending Trump a message that his last-minute intervention was feckless? I don't get it.
14
I generally consider myself on the liberal side of the fence but I would like to see the following in an immigration bill:
1. Permission for dreamers to stay and get in end of line for applying for citizenship;
2. Visa overstay tracking, capture, and deportation
3. End of birth tourism
4. Plane tickets in escrow for family based immigrants that become public charge (i.e. people bring over elderly family members to care for children then dump them on public assistance when the qualify - instead they should be flown home)
5. Mandatory E-Verify with employer punishment
6. Decrease in legal immigration to allow the country a change to digest 50 years of immigration to ensure that digestion is actually possible.
30
"Birth tourism"? Like what they've got in Israel?
7
Birth tourism is what, Exactly?
1
Djt: Regarding #6: There isn't much difference between the death rate and the birth rate in the US, so labor can become a problem - already is in agriculture in California where so much of our food is produced.
4
The bipartisan failure of congress to pass immigration reform to resolve the complicated and ridiculous immigration laws means that the presidential executive orders will be the only way forward just like what Obama did during his presidency on DACA.
Trump is getting the taste of a dysfunctional divided and deplorable House and the Washington swamp.
The California judge order to reunite illegal families separated at the border within 30 days means that to keep families together the children will have to be found and then after uniting the families they will have to be deported to the countries where they were previously united because the system cannot cope with this crisis created by the failed central American countries.
I guess the DACA recipients will be in a limbo too. What a mess Trump has inherited from decades of congress not passing immigration reform.
8
The Republicans couldn't decide if they wanted a right wing immigration plan or a far right wing immigration plan. Both failed so now they will blame the Democrats.
88
The President and his appointees repeatedly blame Democrats for failing to produce immigration legislation. As this vote and the one last week make abundately clear, the Republicans cannot produce immigration legislation and it is they who control Congress.
Only Trump supporters believe this lie.
27
Why can’t our elected officials work through the upcoming 4th of July holiday like many other Americans? They have a boatload of work to do.
50
Because though they support businesses avoiding overtime pay on poor hourly workers they themselves are salaried and ineligible for OT. Besides who needs OT when you have such a cushy job that has good pay and benefits?
7
Trump's position changed so many times, he will claim victory regardless of the outcome. Just watch.
11
Removed from its political aspects regulation of immigration should be one of the simpler issues a legislature could be called on to deal with. That our two party system cannot, or will not, address this issue is an indictment of both parties. We will not see Congress successfully pass immigration reform because both parties are raising massive amounts of money by appealing to extremists on both sides of the issue. You also have to question whether there are any adults left in the room. Congress is in place to govern, not to stage a juvenile wrestling match for party supremacy. If you care about immigrants, if you want those already here to have stability, and if you are tired of this ceaseless partisan warfare there is one action you can take to get the two parties attention. Change you registration to independent. Until we hurt the parties financially there is no hope for good governance.
8
Mr. Trump said that he inherited a mess of immigration bills and it is so easy to fix.
Who could have imagined that getting comprehensive immigration legislation passed is so complicated?
13
The disarray of what used to be the Republican Party is creating havoc for people honestly seeking asylum as refugees from failed Central American countries.
If they cannot reach consensus within their current 'one party only rule' strategy, maybe, just maybe, they could remember this country has another political party that would like a voice in all those closed meetings to craft legislation.
Not likely to happen. But we who are citizens can wish upon whatever stars are still visible through the pollution and wild fire smoke that it would.
10
Wow. The Republicans continue doing a stellar job. They run the House, Senate, White House, and Supreme Court, and all they've accomplished is to have given the wealthy (and themselves) a GLORIOUS tax break. That's it. That's all she wrote. Well, repulse our allies, engage in a trade war that will bury whole nations, lose thousands of kids, despoil air, water, land, civil discourse, hope, . . . .
41
The Supremes are making a lot more progress in stomping down our values. So don't include them in the group.
5
Yours is the only comment that carries truth. Trump has now launched THE BIG LIE TECHNIQUE against Canada and is attacking PM Mr. Trudeau. I am 72 and for goodly spells of my life I have followed international politics with great interest....never have things been in such worrying disarray.
1
Republicans, the party of "no" and working alone with their majority, continually demonstrate their inability to legislate. It is time for them to return to the bipartisan governing that served us well for decades before the Hastert Rule.
15
I'd really like to know the differences between previous bills and the road ahead from a legislative perspective. The comments from key players can be revealing and sometimes entertaining, but do little to increase comprehension on the matters being debated and the regional perspectives that might be holding up the bill. Could we hear less about the political perspectives on policy and more on the perceived regional impact of these policies as they vary from district to district? Substantive descriptions of the policies that are being debated would be very helpful as would the the bill's name and number. Thank you!!
4
This seems to show that both sides really want this divisive issue around to rally their supporters. I am not seeing how either political party is putting country above self and party. This would have been a perfect chance to curb some of the president's recklessness. Our bicameral legislature is supposed to be a check on the executive branch. The only way that works is if both sides work together.
A pox on both the major political parties.
15
To be truthful, Republicans have the greater burden here because they have the majorities in both houses of Congress. The leadership keeps writing bills with poison pills. In this case, they tried to tie some type of resolution for the DACA-eligible to funding for a wall that cannot solve the real problem and no one really wants. We need a rational immigration system based on truth, a system that is race neutral, a system which recognizes this country's needs, and a system which properly separates asylum from immigration.
In addition, the people of the USA must learn enough about our own national history to understand our contributions to the problems creating the flight of many asylum seekers.
9
L M D'Angelo: You don't pass a bad bill just to pass something. If this became law, we'd be back in a couple of years with the illegal immigration STILL a big problem only with a shiny new WALL to wave from at all the people coming in under, over, and around it. Until we make businesses pay big time for hiring undocumented workers, little will change substantively.
15
and I'm tired of the "both sides" false equivalency argument. it's do as they do time.
Glad it was defeated. This was a terrible bill: amnesty for over 2 million illegal immigrants, with no serious commitment to rein in future illegal immigration.
Above all, Ryan and henchmen cut out mandatory E-verify for all new hires. This move has strong support among Americans across the political spectrum. It would do more to cut back illegal immigration than "the Wall" or any other change, and at very little cost to the government or businesses.
Why wasn't mandatory E-verify in the bill just defeated? Answer: because the elites do not want to curb illegal immigration.The American people want mandatory E-verify, but big business does not, so it wasn't in.
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What is mandatory e-verify, please tell me?
It is not just any elite that does not want eVerify. It is the Republican elites who take money from big donors depending on illegal, cheap, victimized labor to make millions. This bill did absolutely nothing to move toward a rational, logical immigration system.
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@philip cafaro: i agree with you stating that "the elites & big business do not want to curb illegal immigration." they don't want to stop large-scale tax evasion either, which causes so much more damage to a nation's budget than illegal [im]migration ever will.
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As long as the House Republican leaders refuse to negotiate with the Democrats to appease the right wing of their party, there won't be any solution to the immigration mess.
In the meantime the whole problem is getting worse and worse.
Ideology and tribalism prevailing over common sense and what is good for the country.
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The mess that is called the Republican Party has been created by the huge amount of money in our politics and the Congress it has bought, along with extreme gerrymandering and 24 hour news. Before extreme gerrymandering and before money was totaling buying our representatives, our elected officials were a more accurate representation of their constituents and it was accepted by the American people that governing had to include compromise. Now they are not allowed to really represent their constituents or compromise on anything because it is then amplified and vilified by the news media and their large financial backers will not support them if it is not exactly what they have "purchased." Now we have added into this disfunction a President who has no clue how to govern. Democrats have been guilty of this too but not nearly to the same degree.
I do not see any hope for our democracy if we do not get rid of the extreme gerrymandering and the billions spent to buy our elected representatives so that ALL are truly represented in our government. I grew up in a large family and understood compromise at an early age. I have always thought of America as a large family and governing cannot work without it.
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