House Republicans’ very first immigration-related bill in the new Congress was so extreme it derailed itself, after so-called moderates refused to sign on. One of them, Texas’ Tony Gonzales, has made no secret of his thoughts on it. He condemned Chip Roy’s bill gutting U.S. asylum early on as “not Christian” and “very anti-American.”
He’s been even more vocal since then, The Texas Tribune noted. “Anyone who thinks a 3 page anti-immigration bill with 0% chance of getting signed into law is going to solve the border crisis should be buying beach front property in AZ,” Gonzales tweeted last week.
RELATED STORY: 'It’s very anti-American': House GOP fractures on first immigration-related proposal
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He’s also stated the obvious, telling a conservative outlet in that it’s “in the interest of many politicians” to have immigration-related issues “continue to flare up,” The Texas Tribune continued.
Gonzales framed it as a both sides do it issue, but that’s because he’s a Republican so he has to. Looking at the previous Congress, it was under House Democratic leadership that we saw the passage of immigration bills. Sure, some House Republicans voted in support. The 2021 Farm Workforce Modernization Act, which would put farmworkers on a path to legal status and ensure critical protections, gained support from 30 Republicans. These days, that’s pretty notable.
But that still means that most House Republicans voted against the laborers who help put food on their tables every single day. These farmworkers are in no less need in 2023, but the Farm Workforce Modernization Act is not a priority for House Republicans. Instead, Roy’s “Border Safety and Security Act” is their first immigration-related bill of the new session. Not that it’s going anywhere, as Gonzales tweeted. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy agreed to fast-track it as part of his corrupt bargain, but after blowback from so-called moderates, its been sent back to committee. Even if passed the House, it's not getting picked up by Senate Democrats.
A serious reaction to that would be to toss out the whole thing and start with something that, oh I don’t know, respects our asylum laws? But these are not serious people, as proven by McCarthy himself, who went to our southern border to put on yet another performance. Speaking of people who have all to gain from issues at the border.
“Democrats took solace in Gonzales’ opposition to Roy’s legislation,” The Texas Tribune noted. “During a House Judiciary Committee hearing, ranking member Jerry Nadler, D-New York, quoted Gonzales in calling legislation to ban asylum ‘not Christian’ and ‘anti-American.’”
Gonzales added that as a lawmaker representing the border region, he doesn’t have the “luxury” of pumping out messaging bills. He might believe that’s true, but it’s his own party that he needs to chat up. Particularly Senate Republicans, who derail bills passed by the House by refusing to help overcome the Jim Crow filibuster. Even just bipartisan immigration talks get derailed by Republicans. Sure, Gonzales feels he might not have the “luxury” to play politics. But way too many Republicans feel they do.
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