By Brandon Moseley
Alabama Political Reporter
On Tuesday U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) from Alabama issued a written statement while President Barack H. Obama held a series of closed-door immigration meetings with CEOs and with progressive activists on his proposed immigration reform package.
Sen. Sessions said, “Once again, our leaders are meeting in secret with narrow special interests to decide the fate of our immigration system while everyday working Americans are shut out. President Obama is meeting privately with the most powerful men in finance and business to discuss how to bring in more low-wage labor at a time when millions of Americans can’t earn enough to pay their bills. He’s meeting with progressive activists to discuss amnesty and chain migration. But what we need is an immigration policy that serves the national interest, not the special interests.”
Sen. Sessions asked, “Who at the White House is speaking for the working people of this country? Who is speaking for the $15-an-hour legal worker who doesn’t want to lose his job to federally subsidized illegal labor? Who is speaking for the taxpayers who don’t want to burden their children and grandchildren with more debt to provide free federal benefits to the millions of people who are unlawfully present? Who is speaking for the victims of drug cartel violence that could be prevented if the borders were secure?”
Sen. Sessions concluded, “Somehow I doubt Goldman Sachs or La Raza is speaking for these Americans. We have seen this before: the ‘masters of the universe’ want low wages and cheap labor and don’t seem to care much about how it impacts workers or taxpayers. All lawmakers—Democrat, Republican, Independent—have a responsibility to our citizen and legal immigrant constituents to put their needs ahead of the special interests President Obama is meeting with today.”
President Barack H Obama said recently, “Most Americans agree that it’s time to fix a system that’s been broken for way too long. I’m here because business leaders, faith leaders, labor leaders, law enforcement, and leaders from both parties are coming together to say now is the time to find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as the land of opportunity. Now is the time to do this so we can strengthen our economy and strengthen our country’s future. We can’t allow immigration reform to get bogged down in an endless debate. We’ve been debating this a very long time.”
The President and his allies (including some Republicans) favor a path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million illegal aliens living in this country and increased legal immigration. Some conservative critics suggest that the President is using issues such as immigration, gun control, global warming, etc. to change focus away from the economy which contracted in the fourth quarter and unemployment which has been historically high throughout the Obama presidency.
Senator Jeff Sessions is a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
