September 5, 2017
Sep 05 07:53 Reducing Obama's legacy Sep 05 11:43 Will Democrats put America first? Sep 05 13:56 Trump forces congressional action Sep 05 16:21 Democrats' reaction to DACA
Prior Months: Jan Feb ~ May Jun Jul Aug
Prior Years: 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Reducing Obama's legacy
Late in 2016, President Obama officially created the Bears Ears National Monument on December 28, 2016. One of the first executive orders President Trump signed was to instruct the Interior Secretary to look into recently created national monuments. Last week, Secretary Zinke sent a report to President that included his findings and recommendations.
In this article published by the Navajo Times, it reports that "Pro-monument advocates are 'deeply disappointed and aggrieved' over reports that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has recommended to President Donald Trump to redraw the Bears Ears National Monument in southeastern Utah. '(Native American) grass roots in Utah and beyond are deeply disappointed,' leaders of Utah Dine Bikeyah - a grassroots tribal group that began developing the Bears Ears conservation initiative in 2010 - wrote in a statement, 'and aggrieved that (Zinke) appears to have recommended reducing Bears Ears National Monument.'"
The key part of the article comes when it says "Leaders of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition also expressed 'outrage,' criticizing Zinke's reported recommendation that Trump shrink the size of the 1.35-million acre Bears Ears (Shash Jaa') monument declared late last year by President Barack Obama."
That part is important because it says President Obama created the monument through executive order. Had he created it through an act of Congress, then Interior Secretary couldn't reduce the size of it through executive recommendation. Instead, President Obama decided he'd do whatever he wanted to do. He created Bears Ears National Monument with the stroke of his pen.
It's one thing to create a national monument. It's quite another to set aside 1,350,000 acres. (FYI- that's 2,100+ square miles.) I like what President Trump is doing because it's relatively respectful of President Obama. After all, President Trump could've gotten rid of that designation. Instead, he's simply reducing its footprint.
Posted Tuesday, September 5, 2017 7:53 AM
No comments.
Will Democrats put America first?
This morning, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that DACA will be rescinded . In making this announcement, Sessions predictably received tons of criticism. Despite that criticism, Sessions made the case for rescinding the program.
The article opens by saying "The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program is being 'rescinded,' Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday from the Justice Department. President Obama's 'unconstitutional' executive action cannot stand, the AG explained. In enacting DACA, Obama 'deliberately sought to achieve' what Congress repeatedly rejected." The simple truth is that Democrats chose to put a higher priority on enacting the ACA than they put on passing immigration reform. That's their decision. Now, it's time for them to live with their decision.
This wouldn't be the problem that it is today if President Obama had enforced existing immigration laws. That's essentially what Gen. Sessions has done. What's interesting is whether Democrats are willing to do a little old-fashioned legislating. According to this article , Republicans are in Let's-make-a-deal mode.
According to the article's opening paragraph, "Senior Congressional Republicans are willing to work with Democrats to keep a program allowing young people who came to America illegally with their parents to stay in the U.S. But Democrats will in return have to give President Donald Trump funding for his border wall."
It's likely that Democrats will initially reject this proposal by accusing Republicans of playing with people's lives. If Republicans hang tough on this, though, they'll win this fight. The American people are with President Trump and Gen. Sessions on this. Funding the wall is a required part of this deal. Laws can be ignored by administrations. We know that because we've seen that happen. Walls can't be rescinded, though. Once they're built, they form an imposing, impressive border. This video explains why President Trump is rescinding DACA:
All immigration policies should serve the people of the United States, he continued. It is his duty as attorney general to enforce the rule of law. "We cannot admit everyone who would like to come here," Sessions explained. "This does not mean they're bad people," the AG added. It simply means we are "properly enforcing our laws."
It's time for Democrats to decide whether they'll put Mexicans first or if they'll put Americans first. It's impossible to put America first if you won't enforce their laws.
Posted Tuesday, September 5, 2017 11:48 AM
No comments.
Trump forces congressional action
When Jeff Sessions announced this morning that DACA was getting rescinded, he and President Trump put a gun to Congress's head. Tom Rogan's article explains why this is a smart strategic and political move, saying "Crucially, however, Trump is leaving it up to Congress to affirm the contours of that resolution. He recognizes, as Obama did not, that the whims of a president are a decrepit legislative partner to the rights of Congress. And it's important that we remember this fact as the media reports on Tuesday's events. After all, Trump's decision will be portrayed as immoral, capricious, and narrowly populist."
Later, Rogan writes "By giving Congress six months to find a replacement law, Trump is returning power to where it belongs, to the authority the Constitution sets in charge of making laws on naturalization. But in return for Democratic congressional support for securing the border, Trump should call for a DACA replacement law that allows relevant recipients to remain in America to pursue better futures. If he takes this approach, Trump will insulate conservative members of the Republican caucus to vote for such a bill without facing huge blowback in next year's midterm elections. Again, Trump's hardline credentials on immigration law mean that he is the perfect messenger for a compromise here, a replacement law that lives up to both moral and constitutional standards."
I wrote in this post that Democrats have the opportunity to do the right thing. I'm still skeptical that they'll do that but ... The truth is that DACA was about to get obliterated in the courts. Attorneys general in 12 states filed a lawsuit that asked for a ruling on whether then-President Obama had the constitutional authority to unilaterally pass immigration legislation. That ruling would've gone badly for President Obama because he didn't have the authority to write law of any sort.
Also in my earlier post, I said that Republicans are willing to make Democrats an offer they shouldn't refuse. Republicans are prepared to pass legislation that makes DACA the law of the land the constitutional way in exchange for Democrats voting for funding of Trump's border wall. It isn't surprising that Luis Gutierrez, (D-IL), is criticizing President Trump's decision in the harshest terms imaginable:
I'd expect nothing less from him.
Posted Tuesday, September 5, 2017 1:56 PM
No comments.
Democrats' reaction to DACA
If anything was predictable, it's that Democrats were certain to overreact to President Trump's decision. This article provides a collection of the Democrats' overreaction.
The biggest overreaction to President Trump's DACA decision comes from Rep. Luis Gutierrez. The article said that "Rep. Luis Gutierrez of Illinois lashed out at Kelly, the former head of the Homeland Security Department, on Tuesday. The lawmaker says Kelly has 'no honor and should be drummed out of the White House along with the white supremacists and those enabling the president's actions by 'just following orders.' Gutierrez says Kelly told members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus that the mass deportation of so-called 'Dreamers' would be prevented. The lawmaker says Kelly, a former Marine, is a 'disgrace to the uniform he used to wear.'"
House Minority Leader Pelosi overreacted , too, saying "President Trump's decision to end DACA should break the hearts and offend the morals of all who believe in justice and human dignity. This cruel act of political cowardice deals a stunning blow to the bright young DREAMers and to everyone who cherishes the American Dream. Strangely, the President has chosen to pardon someone who shares his anti-immigrant views, Sheriff Arpaio, who was convicted, while punishing young children who are innocent. Congress must move immediately to protect these courageous, patriotic DREAMers. House Republicans must join Democrats to pass legislation to safeguard our young DREAMers from the senseless cruelty of deportation and shield families from separation and heartbreak. Democrats will stand firm with DREAMers and redouble our efforts to protect our nation's families from the Trump Administration's mass deportation agenda."
The truth is that DACA is all but officially finished. That's because 12 state attorneys general filed a lawsuit in federal court arguing that then-President Obama didn't have the authority to unilaterally essentially create new immigration law. These state AGs would win, too, because it's a matter of whether the Constitution gives the authority to write and pass legislation to the executive branch or to the legislative branch. Students in civics class could answer that question with ease.
Rep. Gutierrez went Vesuvius upon hearing the announcement:
The question now is whether Democrats will work with Republicans on funding President Trump's wall and make DACA the law of the land. If Democrats refuse to work with Republicans, we'll know that they're just in it for the Hispanic vote. It isn't because Democrats care a whit about Hispanic families.
Posted Tuesday, September 5, 2017 4:34 PM
No comments.
