Homeland Security

As President Obama begins his second term, and his agenda for the next four years begins to unfold, the men and women who make up his cabinet will have the unenviable task of running a massive agency in the face of falling budgets, and increased Congressional scrutiny.
 
Given the president’s performance and inability to work with Republicans, it is not surprising that controversy will befall some of his bigger decisions.  However, the continuing drama over the nomination of Chuck Hagel to replace Secretary Panetta as Defense Secretary represents an unjustifiable opposition based less on fact, and more on personality.
 
Since news of the nomination, lawmakers from both parties were quick to weigh in and air their objections.

The phone rings in the house of an undocumented immigrant who has lived here for decades. The person on the line offers her a deal. If she registers with the US government, goes through a criminal background check, and pays a fine, she will be forever allowed to work, travel, and conduct her affairs in America without fear of deportation. For her children, even better — they will be given a fast-track path to citizenship. And down the line, once more is done to secure the border, she can get in the back of the line and eventually earn her citizenship as well.
 
Is there any chance she would say no?

I applaud President Obama for his extraordinary leadership in this momentous effort to forge long overdue comprehensive immigration reform. Yesterday, a Senate bipartisan working group released an unprecedented set of core legislative principles to resolve our broken immigration system. Today, President Obama advanced this promising and historic moment, outlining a vision that embraces our nation’s long-standing traditions for protecting all families, including same-sex partners, and accepting the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

On Sunday evening, an important, bipartisan, and influential group of leaders in the Senate introduced their outline suggesting reasonable and balanced solutions for fixing our nation’s outdated and thoroughly broken immigration system. On Tuesday, President Obama will also lean into this issue by introducing his thoughts about immigration reform legislation. Our Conservatives for Comprehensive Immigration Reform coalition applauds this leadership, and we are anxious to review and compare these blueprints. We note that the Senate’s plan is very much in line with the principles that our coalition has been advocating for some time now.

The frustrating delay in moving Hurricane Sandy relief through Congress reflects more than regional resentments and the fiscal conservatism of some House members.

Yes, it did take the House until seventy eight days after the storm to pass a substantial $50.7 billion relief bill. One hundred eighty members, mostly Republicans from outside the Northeast, opposed it. And yes, the bill may not become law until the storm’s three-month anniversary or after. (As of this writing, the Senate had still not introduced the bill).

As Immigration Taskforce chairman of the Congressional Asian and Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), I am very pleased that the Senate bipartisan working group reached a consensus on a core set of principles for comprehensive immigration reform. This is a big step toward honoring our nation’s legacy as a land of opportunity.

The AFL-CIO and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, two big players in the immigration reform debate, are breaking bread to figure out an approach to guest worker visas. Immigration reform is tricky. To be politically acceptable it must balance increased immigration enforcement, legalization of current unauthorized immigrants, and a guest worker program to channel future immigrants into the legal market. The present plan is to create a commission with representation from the government, business and unions. This effectively means handing over control to unions – and is therefore doomed to fail.

President Obama has said one of his biggest regrets from his first term was that he didn’t pass immigration reform. We want to make sure he won’t have the same regret four years from now.

The Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) and the millions of Latino and immigrant families we represent are committed to working with the president and Congress to pass legislation that will provide a path to citizenship for the 11 million aspiring Americans living in the United States.

As soon as President Obama began his first term, he issued an executive order that banned the use of torture as an interrogation technique. Putting an end to the violations of international law that were explicitly authorized by the Bush administration was a good start. However, ending the use of torture by members of the U.S. military and intelligence communities does not alone satisfy our obligations under the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment.

President Barack Obama’s inaugural address embraced a vibrant and tenacious vision for the United States, calling on us, as citizens of this great nation, to “set this country’s course.” He emphasized the need for America to rejuvenate itself as a land of opportunity, where students and high-skilled workers are welcomed and incorporated into society, rather than expelled. We must now embrace the president’s call for comprehensive immigration reform and honor our nation’s legacy of economic prosperity and acceptance of the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.