Amnesty Resolution Passes New Jersey Legislature’s Upper Chamber with Substantial GOP Support
By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog
I deliberately sat on this one for a couple days to see how the media handled it, Save Jerseyans. And I haven’t seen much of anything. So here we go… in case you missed it, the New Jersey State Senate adopted a “path for citizenship” resolution on Monday (SCR-95).
You’ll note, however, that the only “no” votes came from Republicans Mike Doherty, Kevin O’Toole and Steven Oroho. Jennifer Beck didn’t vote. 12 Republicans voted “yes.”
Here’s the key language:
Temporary worker program policies which provide workers with full labor and civil rights protections and the opportunity to pursue legal permanent residency in the United States should be included in comprehensive immigration reform] Any new worker visa program must provide workers with all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States, portability of visas so that workers can change jobs, and the ability for workers to petition for permanent residency.” [Emphasis Added]
Faced with a tough job, Senate Republican spokesman Adam Bauer tried to explain the GOP caucus’s discord over the measure:
Republicans who supported SCR-95 after Senator Oroho’s amendments failed did so because they believe that federal inaction on immigration reform is unacceptable. That support, however, should not be construed as extending to any federal legislation that creates a pathway to citizenship in the absence of border security and enforcement.”
Senator Oroho attempted to add language that would’ve called for tougher border security and worker verification programs. The Democrat caucus naturally blocked it. Conservatives like your Blogger-in-Chief aren’t immovably opposed to a compromise PROVIDED that the border is secured as a prerequisite; otherwise, you’re simply creating a magnet for more illegal immigration that inevitably leads to more poverty, dependency, and crime. But this particular resolution isn’t balanced. It reads more like something out of the Democrat Party’s convention platform.
A “path to citizenship” (e.g. allowing young folks brought here illegally before a certain to apply for citizenship) without enforcement is amnesty, folks. Plain and simple.
So here’s my question: since Oroho’s language didn’t make it into the bill, then why vote for this at all, Senate Republicans, particularly if you really don’t agree with it? It’s a resolution. This is not legislation, so it’s not like they needed to wade into the muck in order to hopefully moderate the outcome by pressuring swing-district Democrats for a stronger enforcement provision. Perplexing… and extremely disappointing.
A full roll call is below the fold; click here for a reprint of the resolution. You can also click here to check out my recent TV appearance where we discussed the DREAM Act movement at both the state and federal levels.
