Only 17 of the 234 house Republicans elected last year came from a district won by Obama. As such, the remaining 217 reps can, with no fear of losing their seats, take a states’ rights’ approach and vote no on the immigration bill. These young reps should pay zero attention to the Republican leadership and do what is right for their districts and, for that matter, America. Given the historical magnitude of the disaster we have in Washington today, the only hope left is a powerful nationwide states’ rights movement away from central government, as intended by the Founders in the Constitution. If every Republican in Congress were to read the original Articles of Confederation, each would clearly see that our country was intended to be an informal confederation of states giving few powers to the central government beyond the defense of each of the states if attacked. No standing army was intended, no year-round central government, no central government departments. The intent was a weak president with a limited term who was to be nothing more than a meeting manager.
The Founders intended a federal republic and wanted no part of a democracy. Where did recent presidents get the notion that America is a democracy? It’s the Battle Hymn of the Republic not “of the democracy,” is it not? Do Americans pledge allegiance to the republic or to the democracy? It is time to take a hard line in the House. States’ rights Republicans have the firepower to tell House leadership and the national Republican Party to buzz off and vote no on immigration legislation.The Wall Street Journal‘s Gerald Seib explains that newer House members simply don’t see the world the same as the Washington D.C. establishment.
Many House Republicans—particularly the younger freshmen and sophomore members who now make up a stunning 46% of the caucus—don’t much care what conventional wisdom says they should do. They are happy to rock the boat.
Two weeks ago, conventional wisdom said, as the majority party, House Republicans simply had to muster the votes needed to pass a farm bill despite misgivings about its size and shape. Instead, 62 House Republicans rebelled and voted against it because of its cost, and the bill failed.
Now, conventional wisdom says the national Republican Party’s imperative to build bridges to Hispanic voters, as well as business-community support, means House Republicans must pass a comprehensive immigration bill. Yet that simply isn’t the way the world looks to many House Republicans.
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