Health care unfinished, GOP changes subject back to immigration
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- WakeUpPeople
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Immigration, an issue placed on the congressional backburner by attempts to revamp the nation's health care system, is percolating again as Republican lawmakers are pushing a measure that would require U.S. Census forms to include a question about the citizenship status of respondents.
An amendment by Sens. David Vitter, R-La, and Bob Bennett, R-Utah, to freeze Census Bureau funds if it doesn't add the citizenship question to more than 425 million forms before the once-a-decade count begins in April has divided Latino groups, as well as some opponents of comprehensive immigration legislation.
Vitter calls his amendment, which he hopes to attach to a Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill, necessary to try to exclude illegal immigrants from the census count so their numbers won't impact on congressional apportionment or legislative redistricting, which is based on population.
"If the current census plan goes ahead, the inclusion of non-citizens towards apportionment will artificially increase the population count in certain states, and that will likely result in the loss of congressional seats for nine other states, including Louisiana," Vitter said last week.
Several civil rights groups, however, say Vitter's amendment is a naked attempt to rouse anti-immigrant sentiments as next year's mid-term elections approach.
"Vitter is tapping into public resentment over illegal immigration,'' Wade Henderson, the president of the Leadership Council on Civil Rights, said this week. "There are some members (of Congress) who are susceptible to that siren song.''
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials called the amendment a deliberate attempt to suppress Latino census numbers.
"By making intrusive inquiries into immigration status, the Vitter-Bennett amendment would raise concerns among all residents -- both native-born and immigrant -- about the confidentiality and privacy of information provided to the Census Bureau," NALEO's education fund said in a written statement. "This would deter participation in the census count, particularly among Latino residents, which we believe is the ultimate goal of the amendments proponents."
more at link...
An amendment by Sens. David Vitter, R-La, and Bob Bennett, R-Utah, to freeze Census Bureau funds if it doesn't add the citizenship question to more than 425 million forms before the once-a-decade count begins in April has divided Latino groups, as well as some opponents of comprehensive immigration legislation.
Vitter calls his amendment, which he hopes to attach to a Commerce, Justice, and Science appropriations bill, necessary to try to exclude illegal immigrants from the census count so their numbers won't impact on congressional apportionment or legislative redistricting, which is based on population.
"If the current census plan goes ahead, the inclusion of non-citizens towards apportionment will artificially increase the population count in certain states, and that will likely result in the loss of congressional seats for nine other states, including Louisiana," Vitter said last week.
Several civil rights groups, however, say Vitter's amendment is a naked attempt to rouse anti-immigrant sentiments as next year's mid-term elections approach.
"Vitter is tapping into public resentment over illegal immigration,'' Wade Henderson, the president of the Leadership Council on Civil Rights, said this week. "There are some members (of Congress) who are susceptible to that siren song.''
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials called the amendment a deliberate attempt to suppress Latino census numbers.
"By making intrusive inquiries into immigration status, the Vitter-Bennett amendment would raise concerns among all residents -- both native-born and immigrant -- about the confidentiality and privacy of information provided to the Census Bureau," NALEO's education fund said in a written statement. "This would deter participation in the census count, particularly among Latino residents, which we believe is the ultimate goal of the amendments proponents."
more at link...
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Erm.. wouldn't it be the sign of a terrible government if they could only focus on one issue at a time?
- 2 years ago
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RFIDemocracy
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Looks like job security for Lou Dobbs is on the table.
- 2 years ago
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RFIDemocracy
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samthesixth
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I think Congress can multitask. Obama certainly can, so why can't Congress deal with several bills?
- 2 years ago
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samthesixth
