The debate on how to proceed on changing/fixing immigration policy has come to the forefront in the 7th district congressional race between House Leader Eric Cantor and challenger Dave Brat. As this debate will have a profound impact on the economy and how we view adherence to the rule of law, it’s important that voters are presented with information to help them determine their selection in the election.
Below is a timeline detailing Leader Cantor’s positions on amnesty in the last year.
From citizen activist and 7th district mom Deb Wetlaufer:
Fact Check: YOU Decide — Is Cantor “for” or “against” amnesty? Here’s the timeline.
It is clear to anyone with an open mind that Cantor has been FOR amnesty since at least January 2013 and is STILL FOR AMNESTY now, despite what his campaign ads might claim. Cantor authored the KIDS Act to grant amnesty to illegal aliens under the age of 30 (and is still working on it according to reports mentioned in the attached articles), he toured with pro-amnesty groups last year and he supports the ENLIST Act — Cantor pulled it from the National Defense Act (NDAA) only after the 7th District Chair lost his seat and then Cantor clarified his position, saying that he still supports “the principle” of the ENLIST Act but that the NDAA was not the right legislative vehicle to use. The ENLIST Act is expected to be brought up again in the coming weeks or months.
So, say what you will about Cantor’s stance on amnesty. The facts speak for themselves.
DO YOUR OWN HOMEWORK & DECIDE FOR YOURSELF.
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] February 5, 2013: Cantor shifts stance on immigration reform, backs pathway for ‘Dreamers’
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor called on Congress on Tuesday to carve out a pathway to citizenship for so-called Dreamers — illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. at a young age — making him the highest-ranking Republican leader to embrace the legalization of a broad category of people living in the U.S. illegally.
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] July 17, 2013: Cantor’s KIDS Act Coming Along
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/353653/cantors-kids-act-coming-along-jonathan-strong
“The House Judiciary Committee is holding a hearing next week on the issue of granting citizenship to illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children and Majority Leader Eric Cantor may introduce his bill on the topic this month.
Cantor made his most impassioned public case for the legislation yet at a press conference this morning, saying that addressing the fate of the so-called DREAMers – a reference to the DREAM Act, another bill that would afford citizenship to illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children — is “an issue of decency, of compassion.””
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] July 17, 2013: House lawmakers plan immigration tour
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/immigration-tour-house-leaders-94385.html
Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is among those planning to visit New York later this month on a three-day trip of immigration-focused events as part of the Becoming America tour, which is meant to spotlight the historical and personal aspects of immigration.
…The Becoming America tour isn’t meant to hash out the nitty-gritty of legislation or debate the politics of specific immigration policies. But lawmakers hope it will be a small step forward in Congress’s effort to enact immigration reform.
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] July 18, 2013: Cantor to Push for Immigration Reform at African Burial Ground National Monument
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/18/Cantor-African-Burial-Ground-immigration
Later this month, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) is slated to visit New York to stump for an immigration bill as part of the bipartisan Becoming America tour. Among Cantor’s stops: Ellis Island, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, and the African Burial Ground National Monument. Canter, among other Congressmen, is scheduled to speak at a naturalization and dine with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Cantor will be traveling with Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY), Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), former Bush commerce secretary Carlos Gutierrez, Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI), Michael Grimm (R-NY), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Lois Capps (D-CA), Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Jim McGovern (D-MA), Susan Davis (D-CA), Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) and Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] July 28, 2013: Jewish Center of Jackson Heights in Queens, New York [Video available in article]
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/07/28/Cantor-Jews-Struggled-Like-Immigrants-of-Today
“House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA), a proponent of tenets of the “Dream Act” for young illegal immigrants spoke before attendees at the Jewish Center of Jackson Heights in Queens, New York on Saturday. Cantor and Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL) were the only two Republicans at the event, which was organized by the Faith & Politics Institute.
The stop at the temple was part of a bipartisan tour of New York City over the weekend in which members of Congress supporting comprehensive immigration reform participated.
Other lawmakers at the Jewish Center in Jackson Heights were Reps. Joe Crowley (D-NY), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), and Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)….”
“Cantor thanked Diaz-Balart as well as Congressman Crowley, whose district was the site of the day’s event. “Luis [Gutierrez],” Cantor said, “the leadership you’re providing through thick and thin right now as we try and navigate these very tough political times in choppy waters. My hat is off to you. I’m very grateful.””
—– Dave Brat enters race —————–
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] Jan 6, 2014: Eric Cantor’s Challenger from the Right
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/367690/eric-cantors-challenger-right-betsy-woodruff
“Add another to the lengthy list of contests between powerful Republican incumbents and Washington far-outsiders: An economics professor from Henrico, Va., Dave Brat, will announce his entry into the race for Eric Cantor’s House seat on January 9. He has already hired John Pudner of Concentric Direct as his consultant.”
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] April 10, 2014: Cantor’s ‘Pledge’ at Center of Secretive Immigration Push, Chairman Says
“House Armed Services Committee chairman Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA) said that a promise Majority Leader Eric Cantor made last year is a major force behind the push to grant amnesty to illegal alien DREAMers who enlist in the military.
Cantor “made a pledge that he would help” Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA) enact the proposal, McKeon said at a roundtable on Thursday morning in Washington, D.C.
As reported last week by Breitbart News, House Republicans had been quietly working working to insert the text of the proposal into an related Defense authorization bill, but after the issue became public McKeon announced he would not include it bill as introduced.”
Cantor’s pledge stems from Denham’s effort to offer the proposal as an amendment to the 2013 version of the National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment cleared the House Rules Committee and was set for a House vote before Cantor asked Denham to back down after a dramatic floor struggle with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte.
Goodlatte, whose committee has jurisdiction over immigration matters, has not weighed in publicly on the effort this year beyond telling Breitbart News “we’re working on it.”
Last week, after Denham said Cantor was “very” supportive of his efforts, a Cantor aide said “This policy issue is still being discussed at the committee level, and no commitments have been made on a path forward or the process if it were to move forward.”
But according to McKeon, Cantor did make a commitment to at least help Denham’s push.”
…“It is unconscionable that we would even consider allowing illegal immigrants to join our military when we have veterans – who have honorably served and defended our nation in combat and seek to continue doing so – that are being told that their service is no longer needed as we reduce the size of our force,” Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC), a senior member of the Armed Services Committee, told Breitbart News.”
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] April 14, 2014: Cantor Official Backs Amnesty for Dreamers Who Enlist”
“House Majority Leader Eric Cantor officially endorsed granting amnesty to illegal alien DREAMers if they enlist in the U.S. Military in comments a high-ranking operative who works for him made to Breitbart News.
“Mr. Cantor views military service as the highest service one can perform for our nation and if a young man or woman was brought to this country as a child and knows no other home and wants to serve our nation in uniform, he supports making that possible,” Cantor political adviser Ray Allen said.
The proposal in question would grant permanent legal status to illegal aliens who entered the country under the age of 15 before December 2011 if they enlist in the military — part of a class of individuals who have been nicknamed “DREAMers” in reference to the DREAM Act which would provide amnesty for all of them. A “dishonorable” discharge from the military would void eligibility…”
“Cantor’s support had previously been confirmed by both the proposal’s main proponent, Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA), and the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Buck McKeon (R-CA), but Cantor himself had not previously backed the policy himself. Cantor is not a co-sponsor of Denham’s bill.”
—– Cantor Ally Ousted as 7th District Chair —————–
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] May 10, 2014: Cantor faces tea party fury in his back yard
“Just a few miles from his family home, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) felt the wrath of the tea party Saturday, when activists in his congressional district booed and heckled the second-most powerful House Republican.
They also elected one of their own to lead Virginia’s 7th Congressional District Republican Committee, turning their back on Cantor’s choice for a post viewed as crucial by both tea party and establishment wings in determining control of the fractured state GOP.”
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] May 10, 2014: VA Tea Party Ousts Key Cantor Ally on his Home Turf
“On Saturday, Tea Party activists ousted a top ally of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) from a key Virginia chairmanship in Cantor’s own district, underscoring discontent Cantor is facing from conservative activists at home.”
—– Flip-Flop of Sorts: Pulls ENLIST Act from NDAA…. But, still supports it “in principle” —————–
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] May 16 2014: Eric Cantor won’t allow immigration on NDAA (April 2014)
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/eric-cantor-immigration-enlist-act-jeff-denham-106769.html
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor won’t allow attempts next week to include a measure on a must-pass defense policy bill that would legalize young undocumented immigrants who serve in the military. [He’s waiting till after the primary…. see the next article]
A spokesman confirmed Friday that the legislation, known as the Enlist Act, will not be among those debated with the National Defense Authorization Act, an annual bill that sets policy for the Pentagon. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), the Enlist Act’s chief sponsor, had pledged to bring it up as part of the floor battle over the defense bill.
“No proposed ENLIST amendments to NDAA will be made in order,” a Cantor spokesman, Doug Heye, said in an e-mail Friday. He did not elaborate immediately on the reasons.
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] May 21, 2014: Eric Cantor Supports ‘Principle’ of ENLIST Act, Says Bill Not Dead
On Wednesday, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) said he was for the “principle” of granting citizenship to DREAMers who serve in the military, but the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was not the place to do it.
Cantor also claimed that his views on the matter were not “political” – even though he had an about face on the issue after his top lieutenant was ousted as a district GOP chair on his own home turf two weeks ago –and left open the possibility that the House could have a vote later in the year on the ENLIST Act, which would award citizenship to illegal immigrant DREAMers in the military.
“I have been very definitive on this: I am for the principle, but I am not for using NDAA to do this,” Cantor told the Washington Post. “This is not a political matter, this is a serious issue involving military service.”
Cantor said that “service in our military is one of the highest honors that anyone could actually fulfill” and noted, “if you’re a kid who was brought here by your parents, in many cases unbeknownst to that person, and you want to serve in our military and you know no other country as home, you ought to be able to do that and be able to become a citizen if you have served in our country’s armed forces.”
Source: Eric Cantor Supports ‘Principle’ of ENLIST Act, Says Bill Not Dead
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/05/eric-cantor-immigration-legalization-measure-106972.html
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor on Wednesday stressed his support for a legalization measure for young undocumented immigrants in the military, after he was criticized by advocates who see him as the main obstacle to immigration reform.
In an interview with POLITICO, Cantor said he backs the policy merits of the legislation from Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.), which would give a path to legal permanent residency for immigrants who came to the U.S. illegally as children.
… Cantor and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) were also working on an immigration bill that would give legal status to young undocumented immigrants — a broader version of the military measure.
That legislation hasn’t materialized, but Cantor said Wednesday of what was tentatively named the Kids Act: “That is still under discussion.”
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] May 21, 2014: Cantor clarifies position on one part of immigration debate
House Majority Leader Eric I. Cantor (R-Va.) said Wednesday that he supports a GOP-sponsored measure that would allow the children of illegal immigrants who serve in the U.S. military to seek U.S. citizenship. But he declined again to say when or if he will schedule a vote on the proposal… In an interview with The Washington Post, Cantor sought to push back against news reports and comments from immigration reform activists this week who have suggested that he is purposely blocking the proposal from receiving a vote as an amendment to the annual defense authorization bill. “
“I just think — and have said repeatedly over the last weeks, if not months — that the NDAA is not the appropriate place for this, but I support the principle,” he added later.
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] June 2, 2014: Eric Cantor sends Another Deceptive Anti-Amnesty Mailer
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) is at it again.
After sending a deceptive anti-amnesty mailer last week to voters, Cantor’s campaign sent out another this week just days before his June 10 primary against Dave Brat, who has been attacking Cantor on immigration. The new mailer touts the “conservative” Eric Cantor who is “stopping” the “Obama-Reid plan to give illegal aliens amnesty,” according to Politico. The mailer criticizes President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) for promoting amnesty that would “ignore the rule of law” and “reward people for illegal behavior.”
[gdl_icon type=”icon-calendar” color=”#cf2121″ size=”24px”] June 8, 2014: Eric Cantor wants youth amnesty deal with Obama
http://dailycaller.com/2014/06/08/cantor-wants-youth-amnesty-deal-with-obama/
GOP Majority Leader Rep. Eric Cantor called for a compromise immigration deal with President Barack Obama during a campaign interview with a local Virginia TV station.
“I have told the president, there are some things we can work on together,” he said in the WTVR interview.
“We can work on the border security bill together, we can work on something like the kids,” he said referring to his proposal to offer some undetermined variety of amnesty to the children and youths of millions of parents who entered the country illegally.
“So far, the president has just insisted that it’s all or nothing, [it is] my way or the highway,” Cantor complained. “That’s not going to happen,” he added.
Amnesty for Youth Leads to Amnesty for All
Understand that the GOP’s plan to grant amnesty to people under 30-years-old (KIDS Act) or illegals who enlist in the military (ENLIST Act) is the first step towards granting amnesty to all.
Look at the news this week about tens of thousands of youth being “warehoused” as the flood over the border. What are we supposed to do with these minors if we don’t bring their parents to the US? Put them into a foster care system that can’t find permanent placements for American children? No — once the youth are granted amnesty the cry will be made in the name of “family preservation” to bring their parents, siblings, grandparents and other relatives to the US and grant them amnesty, also.
The immigration laws are in place for a reason. It’s time to uphold them.
Every one of my grandparents came here as immigrants — Polish Jews, Italian Catholics, Irish Protestants and German Lutherans. They came the proper way — through the front door — and were processed through Castle Garden and Ellis Island. Some of their family and friends were sent back to their country of origin because of things as simple as infectious disease. Others were denied because of lack of skills — they were unable to support themselves upon arrival here.
Here are the laws. Notice, there’s an entire section on the “selection system.” Immigration is not intended to be an open-door system.
http://www.uscis.gov/…/ilink/docView/SLB/HTML/SLB/act.html
Immigrants Already Standing in Line
And humor me this — if you grant amnesty to all of these who broke the law to get here, are you going to grant amnesty to all of those currently awaiting naturalization and those waiting to come to the US? Are you going to waive their fees and requirements? I know some of those people and they’ve invested time, energy and money to EARN their citizenship. Everyone of them had to jump through multiple hoops to have their petition for naturalization approved.
Ours is a nation of laws, and not of men.
It’s time to honor the Rule of Law. It’s time to secure the borders — some of the people crossing the border are not just people coming here for work. [2010 – Feds Issue Terror Watch for the Texas/Mexico Border http://fxn.ws/1hxkJXM]
There is a “tipping point” for this nation where we will be unable to support all of the people who need help — heck, are we not there already? Our nation is already unable to employ our friends and neighbors, and is already being crushed under the weight of the costs of social services for people unable to support themselves. Do the math and tell me how we are to absorb millions more people?
YOUR DECISION: Tuesday, June 10th
You have a decision to make. There is no democrat in the race, so you can vote your conscience without fear of losing the seat to the democrats.
Do your homework and then plan to vote on Tuesday.
It is for the reader to come to one’s own conclusions from the timeline and stories presented, but it does not appear that candidate Cantor is a stalwart defender of the rule of law here.
