Stephen Steinlight emails: Hi, Friends,
Below is a list of where Senators currently stand on S.744 from this morning’s Washington Post. It’s an excellent guide for focusing your efforts. In light of the new (meaningless) border security plan put forward by Senator Corker and Senator Hoeven, it’s important to make the following point: We could build a wall 1,000 feet high for 2,000 miles, have 100,000 Marines guard it, and use every piece of modern technology from sound sensors to drones — and it wouldn’t make one bit of difference to the future of the Republican Party. Yes, it might help deter some of the 30,000 people from countries on the Terrorist Watch List from crossing, but it will have ZERO impact on the Republican Party’s future.
Because of the malfeasance of several Administrations, Congress and others we have some 12-20 million illegal aliens here. We don’t need one additional border crosser to cause a sea change in American political life. Once these folks are legalized, get Green Cards and citizenship — and within a time frame will be much shorter then we are being told — they can avail themselves of the most powerful engine in the entire immigration system, extended family unification. They will then bring in their relatives, and even if the number is whittled down a tiny bit, we are still speaking of tens of millions of LEGAL immigrants from Mexico. Given everything we know about their politics from the Pew Hispanic Center, this will turn America into California. No Republican will be competitive for national office, and we will lose the firewall of Texas within a decade or less.
Please make this message central to any communication with Republican Senators. I know it’s useless with the fat cats who only care about rewarding donors with an unending supply of cheap labor, but many Senators actually do care about the future of the GOP and the conservative cause.
YES (50)
45 Democratic senators
Ayotte (R-N.H.) – announced support
Flake (R-Ariz.) – Gang of Eight member, voted yes in committee
Graham (R-S.C.) – Gang of Eight member, voted yes in committee
Kirk (R-Ill.) – announced support
McCain (R-Ariz.) – Gang of Eight member
LIKELY YES (8)
Corker (R-Tenn.) – crafted border security deal
Hatch (R-Utah) – voted yes in committee
Hoeven (R-N.D.) – crafted border security deal
Murkowski (R-Alaska)
Rubio (R-Fla.) – Gang of Eight member
Begich (D-Alaska) – up for reeleection in 2014
Landrieu (D-La.) – up for reeleection in 2014, voted against 2007 bill
Pryor (D-Ark.) – up for reeleection in 2014, voted against 2007 bill
POTENTIALLY YES (6)
Alexander (R-Tenn.)
Blunt (R-Mo.)
Chambliss (R-Ga.) – retiring
Collins (R-Maine)
Heller (R-Nev.)
Johanns (R-Neb.) – retiring
UNDETERMINED (19)
Burr (R-N.C.)
Chiesa (R-N.J.) – temporary appointee
Coats (R-Ind.)
Coburn (R-Okla.)
Fischer (R-Neb.)
Isakson (R-Ga.)
Johnson (R-Wis.)
McConnell (R-Ky.) – up for reelection in 2014
Moran (R-Kan.)
Portman (R-Ohio)
Thune (R-S.D.)
Toomey (R-Pa.)
Wicker (R-Miss.)
Baucus (D-Mont.) – retiring, voted against 2007 bill
Hagan (D-N.C.) – up for reeleection in 2014
Johnson (D-S.D.) – retiring
Manchin (D-W.Va.)
Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) – retiring, voted against 2007 bill
Tester (D-Mont.) – voted against 2007 bill
LIKELY NO (12)
Barrasso (R-Wyo.) – voted against motion to proceed
Boozman (R-Ark.) – voted against motion to proceed
Cochran (R-Miss.) – voted against motion to proceed
Cornyn (R-Texas) – voted no in committee
Crapo (R-Idaho) – voted against motion to proceed
Enzi (R-Wyo.) – voted against motion to proceed
Inhofe (R-Okla.) – voted against motion to proceed
Paul (R-Ky.)
Risch (R-Idaho) – voted against motion to proceed
Roberts (R-Kan.) – voted against motion to proceed
Scott (R-S.C.) – voted against motion to proceed
Shelby (R-Ala.) – voted against motion to proceed
NO (5)
Cruz (R-Texas) – wrote letter in opposition, voted no in committee
Grassley (R-Iowa) – wrote letter in opposition, voted no in committee
Lee (R-Utah) – wrote letter in opposition, voted no in committee
Sessions (R-Ala.) – wrote letter in opposition, voted no in committee
Vitter (R-La.) – announced opposition
