Obama, Pressured by Irate Americans, Delays Executive Amnesty

By Joe Guzzardi
September 8, 2014

To the surprise of few and the disappointment of even fewer, President Obama announced late last week that he would postpone his unconstitutional plan to defer deportation of at least five million aliens. In the process, Obama enraged the Hispanic lobby who view his delay as yet another broken promise, kept his immigration critics on edge because of his suggestion that he’ll act immediately after the November election but gave comfort to vulnerable Senate Democrats who feared a White House immigration edict would further damage their already teetering campaigns.

What’s more important than Obama’s decision is the spineless politics behind it. Worried that an immigration decree would doom enough Democrats to allow Republicans to take over the Senate, Colorado Senator Mike Bennett pleaded with Obama to hold off. Bennett heads the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee. Other prominent Democrats including Majority Leader Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer and Dick Durbin rushed to endorse Bennett’s suggestion much to the relief of beleaguered incumbents in North Carolina, Arkansas, New Hampshire and Alaska.

Consider the audacity. Democratic Party leaders want Obama to hold off not because the policy is outrageous on its face but rather because it’s bad politics. What the Democrats are saying is cover us until November, then when we’re safely back in our jobs, Obama can do whatever he wants.

During his Friday news conference, Obama vowed to “do what he can [on immigration]…because it’s the right thing to do for the country.” Obama’s wrong. Amnesty would be terrible for Americans, especially if they’re unemployed.  When five million aliens get deferred action, they also receive work authorization and would enter the labor market where, according to the August Bureau of Labor Statistics report based on payrolls, only 142,000 jobs were created last month, the fewest in six months. Worse and much less publicized, the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Survey found that last month that native-born American employment fell by 643,000 while foreign-born employment rose by 659,000. While these statistics surprise many, they’re the logical outcome of admitting about 1 million legal immigrants on auto-pilot every year, issuing 750,000 guest worker visas annually and entirely ignoring illegal immigration and its job-related consequences.

Opposition to Obama’s immigration scheming is so widespread that even his base rejects it. A poll conducted on behalf of Investors Business Daily found that only 22 percent of all respondents, 39 percent of blacks, 26 percent of Hispanics, 18 percent of single women and 18 percent of high school graduates endorse unilateral executive action. Nevertheless, in what would be his most astonishing people-be-damned move, Obama still appears determined to act.

But a House bill passed before Congress’ August recess could thwart this outcome. U.S Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn) introduced legislation that would block Obama from issuing future immigration executive orders which would remove aliens from possible deportation. Prominent Republican Senators Rand Paul, possible 2016 presidential candidate,  Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader, and Jeff Sessions, Judiciary Committee member  have urged their peers to join them in demanding that Majority Leader Harry Reid bring Blackburn’s bill to a vote. As of today, Blackburn’s legislation is one of 356 House bills that Reid refuses advance to the Senate floor.

The immigration debate is about three things:  1) Do Americans have the right to decide who lives and works here?  2) Should citizens expect the White House and Congress to enforce existing laws? 3) Should American workers get priority for scarce jobs without having to compete with overseas workers?

Americans answer yes, yes and yes. But Obama’s response has been no, no, and no. Whether Obama’s position will remain that way will be known within a few weeks.

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Joe Guzzardi is a Californians for Population Stabilization Senior Writing Fellow whose columns have been nationally syndicated since 1987. Contact him at [email protected]