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Araceli Esparza founded Wisconsin Mujer to encourage conversations and highlight the needs of her Latinx community in Madison. To that end, this Thursday she presents the fifth Latinx Talkback, Latina Voices on Immigration. Set for 8 p.m., the event features Valeria Cerda of Wisconsin VOICES, Nancy Flores at the National Partnership for New Americans, Larissa Joanna from Voces de La Frontera and Aissa Olivarez, an attorney at the Community Immigration Law Center. Broadcast via Wisconsin Mujers Facebook, the topic will be personal histories with immigration and migration, as well as immigration reform.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY, SEPT. 11-12

Music makes the world go round

Singers, players and dancers from Russia, Jordan, Haiti and Wisconsins own Ho-Chunk nation come together this weekend for workshops and concerts at the annual Madison World Music Festival. Events are, unsurprisingly, virtual this year, but theres still plenty to watch and listen to. Events kick off at 1 p.m. on Friday with Natu Camara: Music of Hope and Healing, and the West African singers performance will be at 8:30 p.m. that night. The nine-piece, multigenerational Haitian group Lazou Mizik closes out the weekend on Saturday after hosting a dance workshop for kids. There is no charge for these events.

More here:
The Week Ahead: Madison World Music Festival, Great Wisconsin Quilt Show, and more - Madison.com

By R. Hans Miller | News Editor

The Congressional District 22 seat is up for grabs after incumbent Republican Representative for the district, Pete Olson, announced last year that he would not be seeking reelection in 2020.

Three candidates are vying for the position this fall after the primaries came to a close earlier this year. Sri Preston Kulkarni is running on the Democratic ticket while Fort Bend County Sheriff Troy Nehls is running on the Republican side of the aisle. Libertarian Joe LeBlanc, Jr. will be running for his party.

Each of the candidates was provided the same questions as his opponents with the same amount of time and word count restrictions to answer each question. Their responses are below and have been lightly edited to remove simple typos and for clarity. Each candidate submitted their responses on or before the deadline provided to them.

Responses are listed in alphabetical order by candidates last name.

Relations between the Black community and law enforcement are strained right now. What can Congress do to help ease that strain and rebuild trust?

Kulkarni: The African American community has made it clear that they are in pain, and we need to listen to them.

Our policing system is broken for many people and ignoring our problems will only continue to cause suffering and division in our community.

We need to reform our policing system to ensure that everyone in our community feels safe. The solution isnt to defund the police or demonize hard working members of law enforcement, but to enact common sense reforms that will restore trust in our law enforcement and ensure justice. These include mandatory body cameras, banning chokeholds, and increased de-escalation training.

Additionally, while recognizing the vast majority of law enforcement officers are applying the law correctly and fairly, its also fair to ask for greater transparency within policing so that officers who are repeatedly cited for misconduct like improper arrests, destroying evidence and disobeying orders are accountable for their actions.

The goal of any of these initiatives needs to be focused on restoring trust and improving our citizens' lives. Police need to know the communities they serve, and the communities need to be able to trust those protecting and serving them. That makes everyone safer.

LeBlanc: Firstly, we need to admit that the handling of poor policing has been lackluster. Officers who have abused their position as peacekeepers need to be held accountable. We need to reevaluate qualified immunity. Secondly, we need to assess our Criminal Justice system and how it favors punishment over rehabilitation. This goes hand in hand with decriminalizing Cannabis which will help curb the black-market trade that infiltrates our society and keep nonviolent offenders from filling the system making it difficult for their return to society.

Nehls: Congress needs to stop making the issue partisan. Law enforcement in this country can always do better, but the partisan attacks calling for abolishment and defunding of law enforcement is uncalled for and dangerous. I often say if Washington wants to learn how communities and law enforcement get along, come down to Fort Bend County. I truly believe were the model for the rest of the country.

As Sheriff, I require all our deputies to take increased de-escalation training well above state requirements and weve seen results. In 2019, the Fort Bend County Sheriffs Office made over 23,000 traffic stops and there was not one case of bodily injury to the violator or officer. Ive also taken steps to establish a specialized unit at the Fort Bend Sheriffs Office that responds to mental health situations. In Fort Bend County, our Sheriffs Office has great relationships with every community regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic status. I believe the model weve built here is a roadmap for the rest of the country.

COVID-19 has forced Congress to spend trillions of dollars to support those economically impacted by the pandemic. This is just one of many reasons the national debt has increased. What should Congress do to alleviate the rapidly mounting national debt?

Kulkarni: We need to stop treating the national debt like a political pawn. Washington politicians have blown a hole in the budget with corporate giveaways while taxes went up for some of our hardest working citizens. We need to stop only giving breaks to our wealthiest individuals and largest corporations so that we can get our debt under control and relieve the middle class. We also need to stand up to special interests who rig our political system to their own advantage, leaving us and future generations to deal with the consequences.

We also must protect Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Our most vulnerable citizens should not be made to pay for Washingtons fiscal irresponsibility.

LeBlanc: Congress has a duty to reduce the spending by our government. They need to audit, evaluate, and cut programs that are financially burdensome. It will not be popular with many members of congress but there seems to be a lot of waste in government contracts that are no longer needed. The military while necessary for defense could use a lot of trimming. Changing the way the federal government does budgets could help alleviate the cost as well since departments and military units have to use their entire budget every year or their budget for the next year is cut. So, to ensure that they will have enough funds for the next year they make sure their expenditures are as high as they can, which leads to gross amounts of waste.

Nehls: We need to find other areas where to offset that spending cost and reduce the deficit. As someone with decades of experience in and around government, Ive seen firsthand the level of waste and excess when it comes to spending taxpayers money. Our deficit is not a matter of too little tax revenue but too much spending. We also need to pass a budget, something Congress has failed to do for decades. Instead, Congress passes omnibus spending bills which are drawn up by party leadership and dumped on members desks days before a vote on it. Leadership packs as much as possible into it and you either vote yes or no on the entire package. Instead of omnibus spending packages and continuing resolutions, we should get back to passing a complete budget through the appropriations process.

The American health care system has put a financial strain on families across the country, including residents of the district you will represent, if elected. What changes do you support to fix the nations health care system and ensure your constituents have access to high-quality, affordable health care?

Kulkarni: At 19, I came home to take care of my family while my father was dying of cancer. After he died, we were pushed to the verge of bankruptcy by the remaining medical bills. Nobody should have to go through this.

Americans now pay twice as much as any other developed nation for their health care, but life expectancy has declined. Two thirds of bankruptcies are caused by medical costs. Before arguing about specific proposals, we must all agree on the two core problems: the cost of health care in America is too high and tens of millions of people still dont have any sort of coverage. In Congress, I would oppose any effort to dismantle, privatize, or undermine Medicaid or Medicare. I will push for expanded coverage for our nations poor, disabled, and elderly. I will support everyones right to keep their private insurance if they are happy with it. I will stand up against special interests who put profits over people, and I will advocate for lower, negotiated prescription drug costs. I will protect coverage for individuals with preexisting conditions, such as COVID-19, and oppose Texas Republicans lawsuit to repeal the ACA in the middle of a pandemic.

LeBlanc: There are a few changes we can implement at the federal level. Allowing true open insurance markets, where you are not restricted to only the policies in your state, will see a lowering of cost for insurance. Changing the patent system on pharmaceuticals where companies, using loopholes, end up holding eternal patents on their drugs and devices. Opening hospitals to allowing customers the ability to see costs up front and be able to choose which hospital they would like to go to based on price. These three things have been heavily regulated by the government for years and has caused our skyrocketing health care cost.

Nehls: What Americans like and need more than anything is options. There is no one size fits all fix to our nations healthcare problems. What we need to do is increase offerings, protect those with preexisting conditions, protect social security and Medicare, protect Medicaid, and protect private insurance. When Americans are in the market for healthcare coverage, there should be a healthy mix of private and public options that meet all budgets.

Drainage continues to be an issue across the Congressional district you are running to represent. What moves will you make in Washington to ensure drainage for the region is addressed in a timely manner?

Kulkarni: Growing up here, I personally experienced the damage that flooding can cause. My family lost our car and my brother and sister almost lost their lives. We need to be proactive in addressing issues of flooding, we cannot wait until after disaster strikes to act.

We need to increase funding in flood prevention infrastructure, with a particular emphasis on drainage. Hurricane Harvey flooded at least 900 levee-protected homes in Fort Bend (County). We need to strengthen the 20 levees in Fort Bend and identify new areas that require drainage infrastructure. We need to invest in larger storm sewers and pumps in the Katy area, specifically around the Brazos River. We must coordinate with local governments to ensure we are supporting the implementation of flood mitigation projects, such as Katys Patna Drive drainage improvement project and the Pitts Road Detention Pond.

We need to revisit our floodplain maps and ensure they are current, while devising and installing a system to address coastal surge protection.

LeBlanc: I believe that it is the Federal governments responsibility to assess the landscape and to give the evaluation of high-risk areas to the state and local governments. It is the state and local governments job to address the drainage issues and it is us, the voters, responsibility to hold those elected accountable.

Nehls: As Sheriff, Ive seen firsthand the issue of flooding and drainage in our communities. During (Hurricane) Harvey and Brazos River floods, I was out on airboats helping folks evacuate, rescuing left behind pets, and helping get food to ranchers stranded cattle.

Every time a flood happens, peoples lives are fractured, and they are left picking up the pieces. We are the greatest country on earth, and we can solve the problem if we work together. In Congress, I will make funding for our districts numerous drainage projects including Addicks and Barker (reservoirs) a top priority, and I will lobby leadership to fully fund the project as soon as possible. In addition, I will coordinate with the Army Corps of Engineers to ensure they have what they need to complete the project and are doing so in timely manner.

Partisanship is a notable challenge in todays America. What measures will you take to reach across the political aisle to work with your opponents party for the benefit of your constituents?

Kulkarni: I spent 14 years in the Foreign Service, where my job was to bring people together in war zones and dangerous places to find solutions to some of the worlds hardest problems. I would sit at a table with people who wanted to murder each other and find common ground to create real solutions that actually helped people. Unfortunately, that experience is pretty relevant to working in Congress these days. We need to cut through tension and ideology to get real results.

In Congress, I commit to rising above partisan politics and putting the people of this district first. We need to start solving our problems with evidence and science, not political ideology. We cant afford to play games with situations like the coronavirus.

When elected, I will put politics aside and focus on delivering real solutions to the people of our district.

LeBlanc: Personally, I am willing to sit down with anyone from any of the other parties, discuss and hash out bills that are beneficial to the American people, that are constitutional, and do not restrict our Natural Liberties. But I will also be very outspoken if bills brought by other members of congress increase the size of our government, restrict our liberties, or are blatantly unconstitutional.

Nehls: Partisanship is a problem and one in which Ive worked to avoid as Sheriff for the past eight years. As Sheriff over 826 employees and 500,000 residents, I do not protect and serve Republicans or Democrats, I am Sheriff for all people. The same is true when I was deployed overseas with the US Army. I didnt pick and choose who to stand beside or protect, we all treated each other like brothers.

These experiences have instilled in me an understanding of how to work with all people regardless of race, religion, or gender to accomplish a goal. There are numerous areas where I believe I could accomplish meaningful progress working across the aisle on criminal justice reform, increased education and resources for mental health, and veterans healthcare.

Human trafficking is a significant concern for the district with I-10 and other regional highways noted as trafficking thoroughfares. What will you do in Congress to help prevent human trafficking and aid victims?

Kulkarni: This is an issue I take very seriously. I worked on countering human trafficking in the State Department and worked on the End Modern Slavery Initiative Act in the Senate.

As most people in the district already know, human trafficking is an issue that too many local officials have failed to address in our community. That being said, District Attorney Brian Middleton, County Judge KP George, and Constable Wayne Thompson deserve credit for organizing and leading a recent multi-agency human trafficking sweep.

This kind of interagency cooperation is exactly what we need to address human trafficking and keeping our citizens safe. We also need to put resources behind raising awareness of how to spot the issue. Contrary to common opinion, the issue of human trafficking does not discriminate against any communities, anyone can fall victim to it. We need to enable our citizens to look out for signs a loved one might be at risk, and ensure they know where to get help, and we need to ensure no victims are turned away when they are looking for help.

LeBlanc: Human Trafficking is something even Libertarians support the Federal government combating. I applaud those who are on the front lines of combating human trafficking. But we can also assist them even more. Immigration reform is a necessity, and our laborious, expensive immigration system leads to millions of people willing to risk their lives to come into this country and has led to a large amount of the trafficking business.

The other major prong in trafficking is the sex trade. Decriminalizing prostitution will help remove the need for trafficked individuals to be forced into the sex trade. While it wont end trafficking completely it will also help narrow the focus to those forced into it, making it easier for officials to apprehend those responsible.

Nehls: As the father to three beautiful daughters, Im always concerned for their safety and wellbeing and as Sheriff of Fort Bend County, Im always concerned for the safety and wellbeing of all residents. Thats why Ive taken numerous steps to prevent human trafficking from gaining a foothold in Fort Bend County by establishing a local hotline for reports, hiring detectives dedicated to human trafficking cases, and shutting down numerous illicit massage parlors.

I will take this experience with me to Congress and work across the aisle to ensure the necessary resources for education and training are available to combat this global threat. I will also support interagency missions and task force

Read more:
Nehls, LeBlanc and Kulkarni discuss the issues as they compete for Congressional District 22 seat - Katy Times

As the only non-elected branch of our federal government, the Supreme Court usually gets a cursory glance during elections. The American political arena is dominated by the cult of personality. It makes perfect sense that politicians barely mention those stoic judges in black robes. Politicians are too busy screaming about tax cuts, gun control, abortion and immigration. Although the Supreme Court is less mentioned and less noticed by our politicians, the media and the general public, it is still a coequal branch of our government. The Supreme Court has always played a role in electoral politics. Conservatives have always worried more about the Supreme Court than liberals. Some scholars attribute this conservative concern to the liberal rulings of the Court in the 50s, 60s, 70s and early 80s. In 2016, the conservative majority on the Court was threatened after the death of Justice Scalia. Majority Leader McConnell refused to hear President Obamas nominee, Judge Merrick Garland. The majority leader felt the American people should decide the fate of the Court at the ballot box, which further politicized the Court. During the 2018 midterm campaign, President Trump nominated and the Republican-led Senate confirmed Justice Kavanaugh, a confirmation that helped the pink-wave of female Democrats elected all over the country. As the 2020 election heats up, the Supreme Court will inevitably be drawn into the fray. Here are the top ten ways the Supreme Court will come up in the 2020 election.

Gorsuch, Roberts, Kavanaugh and RBG

Last week, after Bostock v. Clayton County, GA, Zarda v. Altitude Express and RG & GR Harris Funeral Homes Inc v. EEOC, conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, in frustration over the ruling, called Chief Justice Roberts the worst Supreme Court Justice of all time. Shapiro went on to lambaste Justice Gorsuch as well. Republicans are not happy with what they perceive to be liberal rulings by the Court this term. On the other hand, Democrats will continue to make Kavanaugh a campaign point. Since Mr. Biden has chosen a woman as his running mate, his VP pick and female Democratic congressional candidates will likely continue to criticize that the Republicans confirmed a man accused of a heinous sex crime. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a liberal icon, is 87 years old and has health problems. If President Trump gets a second term, she may die, and Trump will get to pick her successor. Democrats will do whatever they can to stop that scenario from happening.

More Conservative Justices and Court Packing

After recent defeats at the Supreme Court, President Trump tweeted that we need more Justices. Some people interpret this to mean more conservative Justices, while mostly liberal commentators said Trump was threatening to pack the Supreme Court. They claimed Trumps tweet was a threat to democracy. I find Democrats accusing President Trump of wanting to pack the Court ludicrous because some of the Democratic 2020 presidential candidates were openly saying the Court should be expanded with new justices. Pete Buttigieg put forth a plan to add additional justices to the Court, and Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris and Andrew Yang indicated that they were open to the idea of packing the Court. I can talk all day about FDRs Court packing plan, the switch in time that saved nine, why expanding the Court endangers the independence of the judiciary and why we need a constitutional amendment establishing nine, and only nine, justices. But thats a story for another day. Fortunately, former Vice President Biden said hes against packing the Court.

Voting Rights

After Shelby County v. Holder in 2013, the Voting Rights Acts power was drastically limited. Now Voter ID laws, purging voter rolls and voting by mail are politically charged issues. With the coronavirus raging across the states, worries about the 2020 election have crossed the minds of elected officials. Some states have already held primaries under threat of the coronavirus. These states are test runs for how to safely run the general election in November. Many states are turning to mail-in ballots as a safe solution. Wisconsin had a lot of legal drama in April revolving around the last-minute implementation of their vote-by-mail program and hundreds of voting precincts being closed. The Court weighed in the night before the election on an application for stay of a lower Court order. The Roberts Court has been especially concerned with staying out of issues of gerrymandering and voting. Chief Justice Roberts views those issues as inherently political and therefore out of the purview of the Court. Voting rights are becoming a new battlefront for culture wars. Expect Democrats to criticize the Court on these issues.

Religious Liberty and LGBT Rights

After the recent Court ruling that employers cannot discriminate against members of the LGBT community, conservatives have been fearing for the future of religious liberty. Justice Gorsuch addressed this concern in the last few paragraphs of that majority opinion. He said that the Court couldnt really address religious liberty claims in those cases since the employers based their defense on the sex portion of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It would have been a different matter if the employers defense was based on the Free Exercise Clause. More conservatives and more liberals are viewing religious liberty and LGBT rights at odds with each other. Expect this issue and the Courts jurisprudence in these areas to be a big point of contention in the 2020 presidential and congressional races.

Immigration and DACA

Earlier this week, the Court ruled that the Trump Administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act in the way it ended the DACA program. After the ruling, President Trump aired his grievances on Twitter. He vowed to end the program again but in accordance with the Courts decision. Immigration is one of the main differences between the two parties right now, and selecting justices who will protect immigrants will be a top priority for the Democrats. DACA is at risk to be legally ended unless the Democrats take the White House or Congress enshrines legal status for the Dreamers through federal legislation. Democrats taking the White House is more likely than immigration reform passing Congress.

Abortion

The Court has yet to rule in June Medical Services LLC v. Russo. That decision will be coming in the next few weeks. This case is almost a carbon copy of Whole Womans Health v. Hellerstedt (2016). The factual circumstances regarding the case are eerily similar. The only real difference is the composition of the Court. Logic tells us that the Court will uphold the Hellerstedt precedent and rule in favor of the abortion providers. President Trump and Republicans would ideally like the Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, but this case is unlikely to be the vehicle for the conservative bloc to overturn the 1973 decision. If the Court decides to reject the Hellerstedt precedent, they will use this case to start slowly chipping away at Roe and Casey. If the Court rules in favor of the abortion providers again, conservatives will use this ruling as a way to characterize the Court as liberal. President Trump will vow to nominate justices who will overturn Roe. On the other hand, if the Court starts chipping away at Roe, Democrats will use this to prove that they need to take back the White House and Senate to restrict the power of a conservative Court.

Obamacare

Next term, the Court will hear yet another challenge to the Affordable Care Act. Since the Trump Administration is urging the Court to rule the ACA unconstitutional, Democrats are saying the heartless Republicans are trying to take peoples healthcare away during a pandemic. The Democrats are going to use this as another reason to take back the White House and nominate justices willing to uphold the previous Obamacare precedents. Earlier, the Court ruled that the individual mandate was constitutional because Congress enacted it as a tax rather than through the power of the Commerce Clause. President Trump and the conservatives, who are suing, argue that since the individual mandate tax no longer exists, the entire Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. This will probably be a 6-3 or 7-2 decision upholding the ACA next term, but this will be a major campaign issue for the Democrats.

Qualified Immunity

In the late 1960s, the Supreme Court introduced the concept of qualified immunity for law enforcement officers. Qualified immunity intends to protect officers from frivolous lawsuits and financial liability in instances where the officer acted in good faith. In the many years since the late 1960s, qualified immunity has been used to shield law enforcement officers from being held accountable for their actions, especially in cases of police brutality. In recent years, the Court has been unwilling to revisit the issue. The Court ideally wants Congress to take up the issue. Since the brutal murder of George Floyd, the country has been engaged in a conversation about police brutality, racism and the proper role of law enforcement in a free society. Expect Democrats to bring up the Courts role in establishing qualified immunity and their recent unwillingness to revisit the issue.

Gun Control and Gun Rights

The Court ruled that the case was moot in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. City of New York, New York. Revolving around restrictions on transporting firearms, this was one of the first big gun cases to reach the Court sinceHellerandMcDonald. The Court could have ruled on the side of gun rights and placed legal barriers to future gun control legislation, but the Court decided to rule on the factual circumstances of the case. All the recent mass shootings and the lack of effective legislation in wake of those tragedies have enraged Democrats on the campaign trail. Gun control will be a litmus test for any Democratic presidents nominee to the Court. Any nominee favorable to gun control will be a reason for Republicans to block said nominee.

Campaign Finance

If Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders were the Democratic nominee, campaign finance would likely be a bigger issue. Campaign finance has fallen to the wayside in light of the coronavirus and police brutality. Although campaign finance is not being talked about as much as it was a few months ago, many Democrats still feel passionately about this issue. Citizens United is not disliked by only Democrats. The majority of Republicans, independents and the public at large dislike this ruling. The precedent established by Citizens United has led to the perception of dark money in politics. Although the American people dislike this decision, only Democrats push this issue. Moderate Republicans, such as Senator John McCain who cared about this issue, have either left or been forced out of the Republican Party.

Patrick Johnson is the President of Hope Colleges Pre-Law Society

Related

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Election 2020 and the Supreme Court | The Anchor - The Anchor

After the opening speakers had warmed up the virtual audience, a blue-suited Joe Biden appeared on the live stream with a bookshelf in the background and made what sounded like a campaign pitch to Indians and Indian Americans.

I know it is hard, he said in the message on Indias Independence Day. My heart goes out to all those of you who have been the targets in the rise in hate crimes, the crackdown on legal immigration, including the sudden and harmful actions on H-1B visas that for decades have made America stronger... We will overcome and build back better than ever.

For the Democratic presidential candidate, as for President Donald Trump, Indian Americans are an important political bloc. In addition to making the right noises on the campaign trail, Biden has released a policy document reportedly the first-ever by a presidential candidate aimed exclusively at Indians. Among other things, it mentions his plans to reform the H-1B visa system, increase the number of visas, and eliminate the limits on employment-based green cards by country, which have kept so many Indian families in waiting for too long.

These are important proposals. But immigration lawyers interviewed by Scroll.in expressed both misgivings and optimism about what Bidens presidency could hold. On the whole, though, they believe Biden would be good for Indian immigration to the US, which has begun to sputter in the last few months.

Joe Biden has made it crystal clear that he is going to turn the clock back and eliminate the anti-immigration proclamations/executive orders put in place by [Donald] Trump, said Sheela Murthy, founder and president of Maryland-based Murthy Law Firm, one of the largest immigration firms in the US that has been helping immigrants since at least 1994.

The fact that Joe Biden has recognised America as a nation of immigrants is music to the ears of immigration lawyers like myself, said Murthy.

Bidens declared plans are a far cry from the policies of Trump, who has been staunchly anti-immigration since he ran on the platform of building a border wall. In the last few months alone, his administration has suspended issuance of green cards and several work visas, including H-1B visas.

H-1B applicants have been suffering from the stringent anti-immigration policies since January 2017, explained Jagan Mohan Tamirisa, an immigration consultant at the law firm Chugh LLP.

It began with H-1B visa applications being rejected on flimsy grounds. The applicants were sometimes told there is a new definition of employer-employee relation, and sometimes that documentation seeking itinerary and Statement of Work was inadequately interpreted. Appeals against rejections were dismissed too, said Tamirisa.

Making matters worse, US consulates in India used the excuse of administrative processing to hold up visas. The wait time for receiving green cards for family and employment-based categories increased to 10-15 years or more for Indian Americans, and most months, Tamirisa said, there was little movement on priority dates. For some other employment-based green card categories, lifetime wait was required, he said.

None of this comes as a surprise to Murthy. The fact is that America is a nation of immigrants, she said, and Trump and his team...removing that from the mission statement of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services shows to what lengths theyre willing to go.

If elected, Biden can correct this course.

On day one, if he wants, he can make changes to the Trump administration memos that shrank the rights of H-1B holders, said Murthy. He could change the memos to interpret and issue regulations for his agencies, the Department of Homeland Security that are more consistent with a normal understanding of what is written in the law, she explained.

Biden could also propose to the Congress, the way Trump did, to come up with bipartisan legislation, said Murthy. He could ask it, for instance, to increase H1B numbers and to rethink visa criteria such as high levels of education.

Some of this, admittedly, is already on Bidens agenda. Biden has promised to end the H-1B visa entry ban that is in place till December 31, said Tamirisa. He has also promised to reform the H-1B visa programme, including the wage levels.

On green cards, Biden has vowed to eliminate long wait times, keep family-based immigration intact without removing chain migration, and eventually increase visas, Tamirisa said. He is also committed to getting rid of the public charge rule, which denies green cards to immigrants likely to use certain government benefits.

Despite these pledges, there is a view that even if victorious, Biden wont do much on immigration. As David Nachman, managing attorney at Nachman Phulwani Zimovcak Law Group, explained, Biden will be hamstrung by an obstructionist Republican Party and encumbered with a long list of priorities.

The Democratic [Party] platform is generally pro-immigration, Nachman said. However, as during the Obama administration, the problem is that with everything they try to do on immigration, they meet with tremendous resistance from the Republican Party.

Another constraint he may face is the need to appear moderate. In this election season, the Republicans, including Trump, have painted Biden as a communist, someone who is too far on the left. If he comes to office, he has to moderate...by coming to the middle on issues, Nachman said.

Eliminating Trumps rules would merely preserve the status quo the bigger battle will be trying to pass something new. They will have too many uphill battles to fight, and he will have to decide which ones he wants to wage, said Nachman. I dont think the Democrats generally wage really hard battles on the immigration front, because they have so many othersThat was what happened with Obama. Nachman doesnt see Biden becoming a driving force behind immigration reforms either.

Historically, immigration has been a political hot potato in the US. As in many other countries, both sides of the aisle think the current system is broken, but they continue to use it as a negotiating wedge, acting on it based on political expedience. Muddying the waters further are anti-immigration lobby groups and scaremongering sections of the media.

The result is notable moments and missteps that often defy party stereotypes. In 1990, for instance, President George HW Bush, a Republican, signed the Immigration Act into law, providing family-based immigration visa, creating five distinct employment-based visas [including H-1B visa]...and a diversity visa program. Six years later, President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, signed the disastrous Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act, which laid the groundwork for the massive deportation machine that exists till today.

The Democratic platform has been pro-immigration, but I dont think that necessarily will last, Nachman said. I think that thats going to be a flash in the pan.

Given the high unemployment numbers, there will likely be resistance from the Republican Party to increasing the number of H-1B visas, unless theres another Y2K, Nachman said.

Biden too will be aware of the need to first upright the economy that has been battered and bruised by the coronavirus pandemic. You have to appease both extremes, said Murthy. On the one hand, you have to conciliate immigrants and recognise the value of H-1B workers and others. But on the other hand, you also do not want to soon after a pandemic where tens of millions of Americans have lost jobs to act like its a party: Lets open up the floodgates to allow immigrants in and increase numbers. Murthy doesnt see H-1B becoming a focus for at least the next year or two until the economy rebounds.

Naresh Gehi, principal attorney at New York-based Gehi & Associates, echoed her prediction. If Democrats win a majority in the US Senate and seize control of the Congress, they could follow through on their promises. But if they dont, talk is cheap.

Moreover, there are other problems facing the country. In the first six-eight months, Gehi said, Biden will have to settle the dust first: the racial divide and police brutality will need to be addressed and the postal services streamlined. Coronavirus and employment will be on top of the agenda...and then comes immigration, said Gehi. Were looking at more than a year.

Also, analysts say, the first category of immigrants to be considered will be DREAMers. Next, executive actions will be lifted, issues such as the guest worker programme tackled, and then finally, Biden may look at comprehensive immigration reform.

If Biden gives in too much on immigration, the Democratic Party wont be re-elected after four years, Gehi believes. Please the left wing as much as you please the right wing if you want to win that election, he said. Theyll have to take things slowly.

Read more here:
What Joe Bidens presidency might mean for H-1B visas and Indian immigration to the US - Scroll.in

As wildfires rage across California and the West, Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiLongtime House parliamentarian to step down Overnight Health Care: McConnell: Chance for coronavirus deal 'doesn't look that good right now' | Fauci disagrees with Trump that US rounding 'final turn' on pandemic | NIH director 'disheartened' by lack of masks at Trump rally McConnell: Chance for coronavirus deal 'doesn't look that good right now' MORE (D-Calif.) on Thursday pledged that major climate change legislation would be an early part of Democrats 2021 agenda if her party wins back the White House this fall.

So when Joe BidenJoe BidenPhotographer breaches Biden's security perimeter Nonprofit 9/11 Day bashes Trump for airing political ads on Sept. 11 anniversary Hillicon Valley: Dems seek to expand DHS probe after whistleblower complaint | DHS rejects House subpoena for Wolf to testify | Facebook rolls out new features for college students MORE says, Build back better, that better includes building back in a way that is resilient, that is green, that protects the planet, Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol. So I dont know if its one bill or it permeates a number of bills, but it is absolutely a priority.

Pelosi specifically singled out the Climate Action Now legislation, passed by the House in May, which would recommit the U.S. to the Paris Agreement on climate change. She pointed to the Democrats Moving Forward green infrastructure package, which would require states to account for climate change before undertaking projects and meet certain greenhouse gas emission goals when they accept funding.

Pelosi also highlighted a report by the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis that Democrats and scientists see as a road map for fighting climate change.

The Speakers remarks come as wildfires in the West have killed at least seven people, destroyed thousands of homes and scorched more than 2 million acres. A day earlier, Pelosis congressional district in San Francisco was blanketed with thick smoke from the fires, blocking out the sun and producing an eerie, surreal landscape that glowed orange.

Pelosi said her phone has been ringing off the hook asfamily and constituents from the Bay Area reach out to her about the conditions.

Its a terrible moment for us in California. Wildfire ash is blanketing all of the areas beyond where the fire is, in the Bay Area, turning the skies to orange, Pelosi said. "It's dark; it's dark there. It's morning and they're waiting for the sun to come up and it's dark all day. They need ... to drive with their headlights on."

The first thing Democrats will do if they control all levers of power in January, Pelosi said, is pass major coronavirus relief legislation to help safely open up our schools and our economy. That would be the No. 1 priority for Democrats, she said.

A pandemic descends upon you and eclipses everything, she said. Preserving the planet for future generations is the challenge to this generation. Were late. America is not a leader in this [with] the Republican presidents, Pelosi said.

President Obama did a great job in Paris with the Paris accords. Of course, President TrumpDonald John TrumpSenate panel seeks documents in probe of DHS whistleblower complaint Susan Collins: Trump 'should have been straightforward' on COVID-19 Longtime House parliamentarian to step down MORE defied science, [has a] contempt for science, walked away from that.

In recent weeks, Democrats hopeful they can retain control of the House and take back the White House and Senate have been debating what issues they should tackle first in 2021, whether its immigration reform, health care, gun control or climate change.

But on Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerMcConnell: Chance for coronavirus deal 'doesn't look that good right now' The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Biden, Pence elbow bump at NYC Sept. 11 ceremony FDNY says Treasury withheld .7M from 9/11 first responder fund MORE (D-N.Y.) also turned his attention to the fires wreaking havoc in the West as he rolled out Senate Democrats THRIVE Act addressingclimate change, racial injustice and the economy.

"The proof of the urgency of this situation is literally in the air around us right now. Wildfires are rampaging across the West, across an area the size of the entire state of Connecticut, polluting the lungs of countless Americans. If anyone needed any proof of how disastrously and quickly climate change is affecting our globe, look out West, Schumer told reporters.

"Right now, millions of Americans are witnessing climate change in the ash and orange skies outside their windows. These catastrophic events have instigated and exacerbated climate change, and they're not new, Schumer continued. Worse yet, Trump andthe GOP poured gasoline on the fire by recklessly ripping apart vital environmental regulatory protections and recklessly pursuing more, not less, fossil fuel consumption production."

Rebecca Beitsch contributed.

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Pelosi: Climate change will be 'early part' of Democrats' 2021 agenda | TheHill - The Hill