THIS ISSUE: While political talking heads try to explain Tuesday's midterms, a lame duck Congress may still try to sneak an amnesty past the American people.FRI, NOV. 11th The 2022 midterms didn't turn out the way most pundits predicted. The so-called Red Wave did not materialize, although Republicans will almost certainly retake the House of Representatives and still have a chance to win back control of the Senate depending on the outcome of several races to be decided in the coming days. There will be a great deal of discussion between now and 2024 about Tuesday's voting and what it means for President Biden's agenda for the next two years. However the next Congress shapes up there is still the matter of the current lame duck Congress, which is unlikely to leave town until Christmas. Is there reason to be concerned about bad immigration bills passing a lame duck Congress?There is cause for concern about an amnesty or expansion of legal immigration since Democratic leaders may see the next couple of months as their last chance to move immigration legislation for the foreseeable future. Given the slim majority Democrats have now, and the prospect of Republicans taking charge in the next Congress, it may seem unlikely that the GOP would help pass any significant legislation between now and January, especially given that they can make use of the filibuster in the Senate, but never underestimate the sway the cheap labor lobby has over members of Congress. Case in point, Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal yesterday arguing that this election demonstrates that what the nation urgently needs is a "bi-partisan deal" to increase immigration (which would of course also include amnesty). What to Look Out ForOmnibus Amnesty
The federal government is being funded by a continuing resolution that expires on December 16. Congress could pass another continuing resolution extended funding until the next Congress, which is what many Republicans are pushing for. For their part, Democrats would love to pass an omnibus spending bill during the lame duck session, taking away the power of the purse from the incoming House Republicans. Omnibus spending bills, which fund the entire federal government, are notorious for being stuffed with pork but also for providing cover to pass controversial legislation without debate or giving public notice.Many in Congress will vote for a bill they haven't had a chance to read (or can't be bothered to read), in order to keep the government running. EAGLE Act
The Equal Access to Green cards for Legal Employment Act (Eagle Act, H.R. 3648), introduced by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) with eight Republican cosponsors, would essentially grant permanent residency to temporary "skilled" H-1B guest workers, circumventing existing caps on employment-based visas. There is also a push to grant green cards to the adult children of H-1B visa holders instead of requiring them to return to their home countries after they turn 21 years of age. Check your Action Board for alerts in the upcoming lame duck session. It is still unclear what the next Congress will look like. There is no question about what it needs to do to end the border crisis. Go to our Six Great Immigration Solutions to find out the legislation your member of Congress needs to support. Just Talking about Border Security is Not EnoughIn an election where voters overwhelmingly favored Republicans on immigration, how many Republican candidates made immigration a centerpiece of their campaign? Even vulnerable Democrats like Sen. Mark Kelly in Arizona campaigned on the need for border security, while in office Sen. Kelly did nothing toward that end. Voters have been promised a secure border since 1986. Meanwhile, illegal immigration is at an historic high. J.D. Vance, who handily won his Senate race in Ohio, and Ted Budd, who won in North Carolina, both stressed border security and a reduction in overall immigration in order to help American workers. They offered specific policy solutions that would truly reform the immigration system, and they rejected a "comprehensive" amnesty deal. There's an obvious lesson to be learned there. | | ERIC RUARK, DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH |
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