Enforcing US border laws compels Mexico-first legislators to call a press conference
‘Whore’ Comment Fractures California Dems
Rep. Joe Baca (right), chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, is steamed. Latinos have become a political “punching bag” this year, the California Democrat complained recently, attacked by “the misinformed” and “the misguided.”
Baca and other Latino lawmakers on Capitol Hill are angry at their fellow Democrats — and they say they’re not going to take it anymore.
They’ve held a news conference on the steps of a House office building to denounce their leadership’s willingness to cater to immigration critics by holding hearings on enforcement measures proposed by endangered Democratic moderates.
Latino lawmakers are most upset about a proposal by conservative Democrat Heath Shuler, D-N.C., to step up border enforcement and tighten requirements forcing employers to verify the legal status of their workers. Republicans are trying to force House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who opposes Shuler’s proposal, to bring the measure to the House floor for a vote through a petition signed by 218 lawmakers.
Several dozen Democratic moderates, including Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Stafford, have angered the Hispanic caucus by signing the petition. In addition, Lampson has proposed legislation to double penalties against smugglers who bring criminals into the U.S.