EckerNet.Com

I have previously written about the SAVE Act to be introduced by Rep. Heath Shuler (D – NC), which supporters indicate will basically be the first real piece of immigration reform this Congress has put forth in the last, well…..20+ years. While I can\’t find text of the bill through any sort of official, or even unofficial, source, the word is that Rep Schuler introduced the bill today. Presumably the Library of Congress should have a copy available soon.So while I can\’t directly analyze the bill or give you hard details on the bill, apparently some sources have gotten advance copies and are releasing some teaser points. Among them is that it will increase border patrol agents by 8000 and provide fencing/technology for the border. It\’ll set up Tunnel Task Forces, which presumably would be hunting down smuggling tunnels along the border?? And best of all it addresses the real source of the problem….the job magnet. By cracking down on employers and forcing them to use E-Verify to verify the legality of their employees.

Hopefully all the above is true. I\’d like to take them at their words, but I\’ve learned to be severely skeptical of anything coming out of this (or any) Congress regarding immigration. So I\’ll reserve the right to modify my opinion, but assuming the above is truthful this sounds like a huge step forward. With a law like this on the books, we will be looking at a very different (and much improved) country by this time next year.

However, the devil is in the details as they say, and this bill is no exception. Considering my dedication to this issue and the importance I believe it represents I\’m rather loath to mention them. However, the political junkie in me yearns to point them out, so bare with me. This bill has bi-partisan support including 44 Democratic co-sponsors and 40 Republican co-sponsors, although the leadership of neither party has signed on. This gives it political coverage, which in a heated and divided Congress is damn near a necessity. Tancredo and Hunter are both on board, so the immigration caucus is no hurdle. Public opinion remains solidly opposed to amnesty so while open borders groups will make a stink, polls continue to show they are a very small minority.

The problem being is the political view from 30,000 feet. Many of the freshman Democrats, campaigned on the idea that they opposed amnesty for illegals. At this point the public is even more enraged on this issue, and nothing has been done. Indeed the only attempts that have been made were for further amnesty by Democrats. A smart Republican Party would use that issue in the 2008 against the Democrats. However, if this bill passes (or even if it fails), it gives many of those freshman Democrats political coverage and in large part negates this issue as a political weapon. If that has occurred to me, sure as hell that has occurred to the Republican leadership and probably explains why they have not already jumped on board.

On the other hand, using the complete lack of progress on immigration as a political weapon, is a double-edged sword for Republicans. Many prominent Republicans have very vocally supported amnesty efforts. President Bush and Mel Martinez were both solidly behind it. Our top Republican presidential candidates (except for Thompson) have less than stellar immigration records. Even our own Senator Coleman has a record of assisting amnesty efforts. This is easily an issue that blow up in the face of the GOP if not properly handled. Although there are many conservatives that would not shed a single tear at the resulting collateral damage, and indeed might see it as a bonus chance to eliminate a few RINOs.

However, all that said, I consider myself an American first, a conservative second. Being a Republican falls somewhere as a distant eighty-fourth, between Tom Clancy fan and \”spud-gun\” enthusiast. So obviously the political difficulties this bill might present for Republicans are more of an afterthought. This is an issue that is too important for politics anyway. So here\’s to hoping that this SAVE Act is exactly as it is being advertised and we can finally move forward on an issue that virtually everyone agrees on but our political elite is too stubborn/stupid to act on.