Immigration Reform Gets A Boost From Kelly Ayotte
The Senate immigration bill got a significant boost today with the announcement that New Hampshire Senator Kelly Ayotte will back the bill as debate begins:
Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) on Sunday said she will support the immigration reform bill proposed by the bipartisan Senate “Gang of Eight.”
“I have looked at this carefully,” Ayotte said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” “This is a thoughtful bipartisan solution to a tough problem. And so that’s why I’m going to support it.”
Ayotte’s support is significant because it means the bill — as long as it gets the support of all or most of the 54 members of the Democratic caucus in the Senate — is approaching the 60 votes it would need to override a filibuster.
That’s assuming, of course, that in addition to Ayotte it gets the support of the four Republicans who belong to the Gang of Eight. But one of them — Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) — has suggested he won’t support the bill unless it includes more border security.
A sixth Republican, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), voted for the bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Ayotte also discuses her decision to support the bill in an Op-Ed:
As a nation of immigrants, we must remember that we’re all descended from people who came here from somewhere else in search of a better life. In generations past, immigration has enriched our nation culturally and economically. We are all heirs to the dreams and hard work of the immigrants who helped build this country – neighborhood by neighborhood.
But the broken immigration system we have now is unworthy of a great nation. It’s time for Washington to tackle this problem head on. If we miss this opportunity, our illegal immigration problems will only get much worse and we will not realize the full economic potential of America.
Good news for the cause of immigration reform to be sure, but the biggest problem for this bill has always been in the House, not the Senate.
Any bets as to if we’re going to see a repeat of The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 when one of the bill’s key proponents — John McCain — voted against his own legislation after populist tide had turned against it?
This is the message that Sen. Ayotte is clearly sending to the white middle class voters who are the most loyal Republican Party voters: Drop Dead.
I wonder how soon Sen. Ayotte will be talking about how the Republican party left her and she is now a Democrat.
Wait, we’re going off an Op-Ed on her own site and what she said on a Sunday political talk show, which is just drivel the Washington elite feeds itself, containing only inside-the-beltway conventional wisdom?
C’mon, Doug, show some consistency. I’ll admit making the announcement on a Sunday show is the best course of action politically given the audience, but it matters only to them to begin with. Not to mention she’s, what, a freshman Republican New Hampshire senator more than likely hoping to make a name for herself in supporting what seems to be mostly doomed legislation?
@superdestroyer:
I agree, she seems too intelligent to be a Republican.
@al-Ameda:
If you definition of political intelligence is to understand the changing demographics of the U.S. and that there is no future for any conservative political party. She is only intelligent is she wants to be a small fish in the coming one party state and wants to lower the standard of living of many of the residents of New Hampshire by either replacing them with immigrants or having their state over run with refugees by middle class and blue collar whites who have been forced out of their home states by open borders and unlimited legal immigration.
@superdestroyer:
Yes, New Hampshire is going to be overwhelmed by a flood of illegal Canadian immigrants who want only to destroy the American way of life.
Shorter Ayotte:
“New Hampshire voters, I know I screwed up by pandering to the Tea Party wingnut crowd on the gun control vote and on BENGHAZI! Now that I’m experiencing blowback from the non wingnut majority in New Hampshire let me demonstrate that I’m not just a wingnut by voting for sane legislation. If it fails, it’s not my fault.”
@al-Ameda:
A significant percentage of the population of New Hampshire are people who used to live in Mass. but moved to N.H. for a lower cost of living. What is odd is that many of those refugees retained their automatic Democratic Party voting habits from Mass.
AS the percentage of the U.S. that is non-hispanic white shrinks, white will begin to move out of areas where they are a small minority. N.H. could easily become one of those places that white move to if they have to evacuate out of states like Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.
@stonetools:
Do you really think most white middle voters in N.H. really want amnesty , more H1B visas, and more chain migration? Or is the easier explanation is that the cheap labor Republicans have said jump and Sen Ayotte replied by asking how high.
My point is the real story is she’s choosing a side in the GOP civil war. Not that immigration reform is getting a boost because, as stated, she’s a freshman GOP senator from New Hampshire.
@superdestroyer:
Is it really odd to you that Democrats who move remain Democrats?
I know you get paid to post, but at least try.
@Rick Almeida:
But they moved because of Democratic Party supported policy and then want to recreate those policies in their new local. It is like those Democrats have no clue what cause and effect are.
@al-Ameda: “Yes, New Hampshire is going to be overwhelmed by a flood of illegal Canadian immigrants who want only to destroy the American way of life. ”
OTOH, residents of New Hampshire can benefit from the maple syrup smuggling ring.
She is looking out for her own hide again. She knows her vote on gun control lost her support in her state and she will never get re-elected. After a while, voters get it when they are being conned.