Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton picked a running mate in Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) whose record on immigration in the Senate (2013-2016 thus far) is about the same as hers was during her one term there (2001-2008).
Both earned Grades of F on the NumbersUSA Immigration Gradecards. That means the balance of their actions in the Senate was to strongly support larger immigration and foreign worker numbers, more protection of illegal migrants, and more forced population growth.
See Kaine's full Senate immigration record here: https://www.numbersusa.com/content/my/congress/11584/gradescoresheet/
BOTH SUPPORTED COMPREHENSIVE FOREIGN WORKER EXPANSION & AMNESTY BILLS
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Just before this week's nominating convention, Kaine went out of his way to back up Clinton's promise to start in the first 100 days to enact "comprehensive immigration reform." This is certainly consistent for Kaine who not only voted for the Gang of Eight's comprehensive bill in 2013 but also voted against many amendments that were designed to reduce the scope of the massive immigration expansion.
- Clinton's years in the Senate included the 2006 and 2007 immigration expansion efforts spearheaded by Republican Pres. George W. Bush and Democratic Sen.Ted Kennedy.
- Kaine's time in the Senate began with the immigration expansion efforts championed by Democratic Pres. Barack Obama and Republican Sen. Marco Rubio.
Both Clinton and Kaine whole-heartedly supported the establishment leadership of both parties in their efforts during their tenure to dramatically increase lifetime work permits for chain migration of extended family of previous immigrants and for millions of illegal migrants. Kaine indicated in an interview with Telemundo this week that he is still counting on the Republican establishment to back the big amnesty efforts, contending that House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) would help him and Clinton pass one next year. (Ryan has not responded.)
PROTECTIONS FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS
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Kaine's record in the Senate has included steady support for sanctuary policies in which cities -- and sometimes whole states -- declare that they won't obey federal law and rules requiring them to cooperate with U.S. immigration officials. He has voted to protect sanctuary cities that release criminal illegal aliens back out on the streets instead of turning them over for removal to their home countries.
As governor of Virginia, Kaine opposed nearly all efforts by counties and cities to discourage illegal immigration. And he blocked the state from joining the federal 287(g) program that would train state law enforcement to assist federal immigration agents.
During the Senate debate over the 2013 Gang of Eight comprehensive bill, Kaine voted against an amendment that would have guaranteed the completion of the Entry/Exit system so the feds could track visa overstayers.
He also voted against amendments that would have at least required extra border control measures before the amnesty could go into effect.
And Kaine voted against an amendment about completing the 350 miles of double-layer fencing on the Mexican border that was required by the 1996 immigration law but which Pres. Bill Clinton, Pres. George W. Bush and Pres. Obama refused to implement.
NOT A LEADER IN FOREIGN-WORKER EXPANSION
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Nonetheless, it has not appeared that Kaine invested time and political capital to be a leader in the loose-labor-market movement. He nearly always voted with those who promoted labor surpluses but he does not seem to have been a sponsor of bills or a leader in putting together coalitions to move bills to protect illegal aliens or expand legal immigration.
His was a reliable vote for free trade bills that would have left the President with the authority to negotiate trade treaties that would guarantee certain immigration flows.
PRO-WORKER IMMIGRATION ACTIONS
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Kaine's Immigration Grade Card shows three positive actions for American workers, all of them based on his single action of supporting the massive amnesty and foreign-worker expansion bill of the Gang of Eight. Although it would have tripled the number of lifetime work permits for foreign citizens over the first decade, it also would have included three measures that would have lessened the overall increase by ending the visa lottery, increasing the use of E-Verify and implementing some extra border security measures.
-- ROY BECK is Founder & President of NumbersUSA
