It’s Saturday. And Congress is in session. Worse yet, it’s a week before Christmas and Congress is in session. And Congress will be in session on Sunday. While this unfortunate fact is bad for most of us, it’s been good for newly minted Congressman John Campbell who was sworn in just one week ago.
One of the reasons that the Congress is still in session is immigration. The House GOP is bitterly split over the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 authored by Judiciary Committee Chairman James Sensenbrenner. The fight is over two issues: holding businesses that hire illegals responsible and guest-worker programs.
The bill has two sentences which seemingly appear to expand guest-worker programs but are in fact, merely a restatement of current law. However, some view this as an opening for the Senate to expand guest-worker. Others recognize that regardless of how tough the border security and law enforcement components are, hard liners will focus on the appearance of expanding immigration. Opponents of the language think it is an unnecessary throw away to guest-worker proponents that gains nothing legislatively. While many immigration reform advocates are excited about the House finally moving on this, they are disappointed that this victory might be overshadowed by non-binding language that distracts from that success.
Now to Campbell, in his first week in action, he offered an amendment to the bill on the floor that would withhold federal law enforcement grants from cities, states, or counties who forbid their law enforcement officials from cooperating with federal authorities on the immigration status – so-called sanctuary cities. The Campbell amendment passed unanimously by voice vote.
At a special meeting of the Republican Study Committee (conservative caucus) yesterday, Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO), a supporter of Jim Gilchrist, publicly welcomed Campbell to the Congress and was very generous in his praise of Campbell’s efforts on the House floor.