Marc Thiessen, opinion writer with the Washington Post in a Times Picayune column dated 4/14 agreed with the democratic position concerning immigration and broke with Trump's rhetoric about our country being FULL. Thiessen wrote: SORRY, OUR COUNTRY IS NOT FULL. NOT BY A LONG SHOT. THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. WE NEED MORE IMMIGRANTS, LOTS OF THEM. IN FACT NO ONE NEEDS IMMIGRANTS MORE THAN TRUMP. But Thiessen could not bring himself to the point of reminding the President that he and his party had no plan on immigration the past two years and still do not. Thiessen's column went on to say the following: (1) An overall reduction in immigration would be disastrous for the country. (2) We need immigrants to stop population decline. (3) We need immigrants to work and pay taxes that fund social security and medicare for our aging population. (4) And we need immigrants to provide human capital for continued economic growth and prosperity.
And if all that sounds familiar its because it represents the democratic position on immigration as articulated by democratic candidates and those serving in congress for the past few decades. Thiessen failed to point out that the democratic controlled U.S. Senate in 2013 passed immigration reform legislation 68 - 32 with 14 republicans joining all 54 democrats. It was a good bill with money for border control. The republican controlled U.S. House let the bill die without even a hearing and or debate thanks to their speaker of the House, John Boehner.
Lets tell it like it is. Illegal immigration is at its highest level since 2007 because Trump and his party have no immigration plan or policy and are really not interested in immigration reform because immigrants usually vote democratic. The republican party has already acknowledged that just as former republican speaker of the U.S. House, John Boehner acknowledged that the republican party had no interest in health care and therefore never had a realistic plan or policy on the issue. The talk about illegal immigration being out of control is all taking place on Trump and his party's watch despite his phony rhetoric. What a shame and shame on the trumpet man and his party.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
