Pelosi Drills Republicans For Jeopardizing America’s National Security With Reckless Bill

“Republicans are taking an extremely dangerous and cavalier approach to the safety of American families,” Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) charged Tuesday morning in a statement, citing a new report on President Obama’s Immigration Accountability Executive Actions.

The state-by-state report is referring to the crazy amendments House Republicans stuck onto their bill that is supposed to fund the Department of Homeland Security, which they deliberately left unfunded after February 27th in order to use it as a hostage in their war on Obama’s immigration actions. These amendments kill not just Obama’s latest executive action, but his earlier actions such as telling his administration to target felons for deportation instead of families. This makes Republicans pro-felon?

Pelosi’s office reports that the new report, based on data from the White House Council of Economic Advisors, shows that the President’s immigration actions will grow the economy by $90 to $210 billion over the next ten years and would not only not impact the likelihood of employment by U.S. born workers but would increase the averages wages for those workers by $170.00 a year. Naturally, Republicans are against these things.

“It is outrageous that Republicans would threaten our national security to advance radical anti-immigrant measures that will damage our economy,” Leader Pelosi said in a statement. “Republicans are taking an extremely dangerous and cavalier approach to the safety of American families. Republicans should reconsider this reckless agenda, and come together with Democrats to swiftly restore certainty to the funding of Homeland Security.”

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This might sound like partisan bickering, but what it really is is a gross understatement of the jeopardy Republicans are once again throwing the nation into just so they can have a temper tantrum in public for their base. The DHS is tasked with, among other duties, protecting from and responding to terrorist attacks.

Just imagine if Democrats had left the DHS funded for only a few more weeks as several acts of terrorism played out on the national stage. Imagine if after 9/11, Democrats refused to fund the DHS because they didn’t like one of Bush’s executive actions, unrelated to terrorism.

This is not something the opposition party does, normally. It used to be deadly to troll national security, but the press let’s Republicans get away with this in ways Democrats simply can’t manage. Part of the problem is that Democrats are so hesitant to say things like accusing the President of being like Hitler or accusing the opposition of being sympathetic to the terrorists. The rhetorical standards are much higher for Democrats. So they are left citing data laden “reports” instead of accusing Republicans of hating America and wanting to see millions murdered just out of spite. Republicans have accused Democrats of more over much less. Even questioning Bush after 9/11 made one suspect.

It’s ironic, but we wouldn’t even have a DHS without the Bush administration and now that we do, Republicans are trying to destroy it. And with it, our capacity to deal with terrorism and throwing the public into chaos and disarray once again, as the clock ticks down.

Representative Cedric Richmond (D-LA) reiterated the gravity of the situation given recent events, calling the House Republicans’ bill “outright reckless” in a statement. He continued, “Instead of presenting a bill that sufficiently addresses our national security, they have elected to jeopardize the safety of our nation for the sake of party politics.”

This is all true. And that’s probably why it doesn’t get much press. Remember the Obamacare glitch? That captivated the press for months. But national security, under a non-authoritarian Democrat who doesn’t accuse the press of being traitors and freeze out those who dare to ask questions? Meh.

It’s really not that hard. Republicans need to let go of their latest hostage and simply fund the government the way it’s usually done. If they can’t win their way through debate and having the majority in both chambers, which they do, then they need to acknowledge the checks and balances inherent in the constitutional system they claim to respect, part of which is that the executive branch actually does have some power. Too bad, so sad. Etc.

But let us not defund the department of homeland security just to cater to Republicans who hate Hispanics and Latinos, and especially not when doing so will only result in harm to not just undocumented immigrants but also U.S. born workers and the U.S. economy. Thanks but no thanks, Republicans.