So much for the open, respectful discussion of key issues that Pres. Obama advocated in his State of the Union address:
A better politics is one where we debate without demonizing each other, where we talk issues and values and principles and facts, rather than gotcha moments or trivial gaffes or fake controversies that have nothing to do with people's daily lives. . . . If we're going to have arguments, let's have arguments. But let's make them debates worthy of this body and worthy of this country."
But this was after taunting the assembled Members of Congress that his unilateral executive actions on immigration that completely by-passed Congress are beyond any further discussion:
We can't slow down businesses or put our economy at risk with government shutdowns or fiscal showdowns. We can't put the security of families at risk by taking away their health insurance or unraveling the new rules on Wall Street or refighting past battles on immigration when we've got to fix a broken system. And if a bill comes to my desk that tries to do any of these things, I will veto it. It will have earned my veto."
Isn't it time to demand that your Senator stand up to this kind of bullying and vote to give the power over immigration back to Congress where the Constitution says it belongs?
THE USUAL DISCONNECT BETWEEN CONCERN FOR LOW-INCOME AMERICANS & INSISTENCE ON MORE AND MORE FOREIGN WORKERS COMPETING FOR JOBS
Pres. Obama in his State of the Union address repeatedly called on Congress to help bring the benefits of an improving economy to those Americans who still have been left out of the recovery.
Of course, nothing helps families make ends meet like higher wages."
Will we accept an economy where only a few of us do spectacularly well? Or will we commit ourselves to an economy that generates rising incomes and chances for everyone who makes the effort?"
But his boast about "over the past five years, our businesses have created more than 11 million new jobs" unintentionally pointed to some math about immigration policies that helps show why so many Americans are doing so poorly.
11 MILLION NEW JOBS FOR WHOM?
During those five years cited by the President, Congressional policies essentially have ordered the Obama Administration to issue permanent work permits to more than 5 million new immigrants.
Then Pres. Obama has gone outside the will of Congress since 2012 and issued more than a half-million work permits to so-called "Dreamer" illegal aliens.
And in November, Pres. Obama promised to issue work permits to around 5 million more illegal aliens.
Notice how these numbers quickly begin to surpass the number of new jobs?
The President's two references to immigration totally hid the fact that his executive immigration actions are about work permits and putting illegal aliens in direct competition with American workers for every new job. His language was all about the sort of deportation that almost never happens.
Yes, passions still fly on immigration, but surely we can all see something of ourselves in the striving young student, and agree that no one benefits when a hardworking mom is snatched from her child, and that it's possible to shape a law that upholds our tradition as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants."
This presidential insistence on favoring foreign workers -- particularly illegal ones -- over American workers must be challenged by Congress, and it is time for your Senator to help that happen.
Please call your Senator immediately. Thanks.
ROY BECK is President & CEO of NumbersUSA
