Which Democrats Support Anti-Immigrant GOP Stunts-- Very Few... But That's More Than None

Congress never seems to have the time or energy to work on anything beneficial to the American people... but the Republican leadership always has time for stunts and games-- like the one they did Wednesday. Ryan, McConnell and Scalise put GOP nitwit Clay Higgins up to it. Higgins represents one of the reddest districts in Louisiana, a big swath of the southern coast, from Morgan City through New Iberia, Lafayette and Lake Charles right to the Texas border. The PVI is R+20 and Trump beat Hillary there, 67.3% to 29.2%. There's no accountability for doing idiotic things-- as long as they'll idiotic things that Hate Talk Radio will extol.

It's a foolish non-binding resolution expressing support for ICE, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the kidnappers who act as Trump's Gestapo. Jerry Nadler, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and likely to be that committee's next chairman: "It is a meaningless stunt. We have more important things to do." McConnell tried doing the same stunt at the Senate by using unanimous consent but it was blocked by Kamala Harris on the floor.

It passed 244 to 35. Does that look like a strangely low number of votes? Well, it was. 133 Democrats voted "present." Steny Hoyer, the Democratic Whip explained that "This is exactly the kind of 'gotcha vote' which alienates Americans from their government... Democrats refuse to play the Republicans' game. We’re not falling for this trap. But 18 Democrats did fall for this trap, Pretty repulsive that Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Kyrsten Sinema (Blue Dog-AZ) did but they're both running for the Senate and I guess they think Hispanic voters will have no choice but to forgive them.) Among the 18 Democrats who voted with the GOP on this 14 were Blue Dogs and New Dems from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party, also known as Democraps.

• Ami Bera (New Dem-CA)
• Jim Costa (Blue Dog-CA)
• Charlie Crist (Blue Dog-FL)
• Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX)
• Josh Gottheimer (Blue Dog-NJ)
• Ron Kind (New Dem-WI)
• Connor Lamb (Blue Dog)
• Al Lawson (New Dem-FL)
• Stephanie Murphy (Blue Dog-FL)
• Tom O'Halleran (Blue Dog-AZ)
• Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR)
• David Scott (Blue Dog-GA)
• Kyrsten Sinema (Blue Dog-AZ)
• Tom Suozzi (New Dem-NY)

The only Republican to vote NO was Justin Amash (R-MI). Most Democrats who want to abolish ICE want to make sure the legitimate work they do-- not the kidnappings and family separations-- are done by another agency. Last week Democrats introduced legislation two abolish ICE which the GOP isn't allowing to come to the floor. Mark Pocan is one of the cosponsors. He said that "Trump has so misused ICE that the agency can no longer accomplish its goals effectively. As a result, the best path forward is this legislation, which would end ICE and transfer its critical functions to other executive agencies." But where and how and who? With the congressional Republicans preferring to weaponize the slogan, "Abolish Ice," to use against Democrats, there is no mature debate about how to go forward.

If signed into law, the bill would set a one-year window before ICE is shut down, while also establishing a commission to undertake a 90-day review that would identify ICE’s essential responsibilities and the agencies that could take over those roles. A second act of Congress would then be needed to establish where its former powers should go. Commission members would also be charged with accounting for any constitutional infringements and abuses of power committed by ICE agents and officials during its existence.

“This legislation would establish a commission to look at transitioning essential ICE functions to a new agency that would have accountability, transparency and oversight built in from its inception,” Washington Representative Pramila Jayapal, another Democrat who introduced the bill, said in a statement. “It’s time to change the system to one that is accountable, efficient, humane, and transparent.”

...At its broadest level, #AbolishICE isn’t just about changing DHS’ most controversial agency. It’s about changing the nation’s deadlocked immigration debate. “Everyone’s entrenched,” [Former ICE director Sarah] Saldana said, referring to Congress. “I don’t blame one side or the other for the lack of comprehensive immigration reform. Both parties are responsible, and I would hope that at some point the public gets serious enough about it to say, ‘You’re not working on a major issue in this country and we need someone who will.’”

By calling for ICE’s abolition, activists on the left are hoping to tilt that debate in their favor. “ICE is now contested,” [Sean] McElwee said. “Detention beds are contested. ICE’s funding in omnibus bills is no longer a given-- a thing that is seen as the thing that’s done automatically. The contesting of deportation is very valuable. We actually have some space now to question the consensus that was fundamentally a center-right consensus.” For those hoping to build a new approach to immigration after Trump, that long-term shift is more important than whatever form ICE takes next.