Archive for the ‘Immigration Reform’ Category

The Fix: The most surprising gay marriage poll weve seen in a while

Everyone wants to know whetherJeb Bush can survive his support for Common Core and comprehensive immigration reform in today's Republican Party.

One deal-breaker that might surprise people, though: His opposition to gay marriage.

NBC News and Marist Collegeare out witha batch ofnew 2016 primary polls. And as you might expect,Common Core,immigration reform, belief in man-made climate change and support for raising taxes on the wealthy are among those with the potential to alienate lotsof conservatives.

But according to the polls, so does opposition to gay marriage -- an issue on whichBush agrees with basically every other candidate.

The polls, in fact, show that about half of likely GOP caucus and primary voters in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina said they find opposition to gay marriage either "mostly" or "totally" unacceptable in a candidate. Fifty-two percent of likely Republican primary voters in New Hampshire and South Carolina said opposing gay marriage is either mostly or totally unacceptable, while 47 percent of likely Iowa caucus voters agree.

By comparison, 63 percent of Iowa voters say belief in man-made climate change (and fighting it) is unacceptable, 56 percent of New Hampshire voters say raising taxes on the wealthy is a non-starter, and 52 percent of South Carolina voters say support for comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship is a deal-breakeron one level or another.

Voters in all three states find a candidate who supports gay marriage to be about as amenable as one who doesn't toe the party line on any of these issues.

And while the numbers are surprising, they make some sense. A Pew poll conducted in March 2014 showed 39 percent of Republicans and Republican leaners supported gay marriage. Add the passage of time andthe fact that non-Republicans can vote in New Hampshire and South Carolina, and you've got a potentially less anti-gay marriage electorate come next year.

There's also the possibility that the poll question confused some people. Asking people about gay marriage opposition rather than support for it brings double-negatives into the picture, possibly confusing some poll respondents. And people are more apt to respond in the negative when in doubt.

But it's also pretty clear from this and other polls that there are a growing number of Republicans who support gay marriage. So does it allmean we'll see a GOP presidential candidate in 2016 come out in support of gay marriage? Probably not. While there are some supporters of immigration reform (see: Bush and Marco Rubio) and Common Core (Bush) in the group, the name of the game is alienating as few people as possible.

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The Fix: The most surprising gay marriage poll weve seen in a while

Scott Walker: Immigration Reform Doesnt Mean Amnesty – Video


Scott Walker: Immigration Reform Doesnt Mean Amnesty
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Scott Walker: Immigration Reform Doesnt Mean Amnesty - Video

Radio Show, 2015, February 6, #immigration reform – Video


Radio Show, 2015, February 6, #immigration reform
Discussing Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Border Security and other related issues (visa, I-94, International travel, H-1B transfer, premium processing, E...

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Radio Show, 2015, February 6, #immigration reform - Video

Immigration Reform 2015: Republicans Oppose Tax Credits …

Congressional Republicans criticized policies this week that could allow millions of immigrants granted Social Security numbers through President Barack Obamas executive actions to receive as much as four years of tax credits from the Internal Revenue Service. Critics of Obamas program are attempting to pass a funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security, which polices immigration, ahead of a Feb. 27 shutdown deadline that would reverse the president's program, according to the Associated Press.

"I represent hard-working, law-biding Texans," said Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee. "I think these amnesty rewards, and that's what they are, need to be stopped."

Obama took executive action in November to protect millions of illegal immigrants from deportation. Immigrants who have since received Social Security numbers can now apply for tax credits worth up to $24,000, depending on the size of their families.

Defenders of the program argue many illegal immigrants pay taxes and should be eligible for the same benefits as anyone else who pays taxes. Illegal immigrants paid an estimated $100 billion into Social Security in the last 10 years, chief actuary Stephen Goss estimated. Illegal immigrants who pay taxes still arent eligible for many federal programs, such as food stamps or federal student loans.

Workers cannot legally work in the United States without a Social Security number. With Social Security numbers received through Obamas executive action, immigrants who once faced deportation can now be eligible to receive Social Security benefits after 10 years of paying taxes.

The immigrants are immediately eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit as long as they can provide proof of earnings and meet income requirements. Applicants can retroactively seek credits from income dating back to 2011, at a maximum rate of $6,000 per year for families with three or more children.

"The administration may have blown open the doors for fraud with amnesty bonuses of more than $24,000 to those who receive deferred action," Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., told the AP. "This program severely undermines the White House's lip-service to enforcing the law and would increase the burden on law-abiding taxpayers."

GOP lawmakers in Kansas and Ohio warned earlier this monthObamas executive action could lead to an increase in illegally registered voters, as states lack the capacity to verify eligibility. Top Republican leaders have criticized Obamas measures as an abuse of power.

House Republicans have thrice passed bills that would fund the DHS while repealing Obamas executive actions, only to see all three bills fail in the Senate. The DHS will face a shutdown if legislators do not pass a funding bill by Feb. 27.

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Immigration Reform 2015: Republicans Oppose Tax Credits ...

Immigration activists prepare for the worst / Immigration Reform – Video


Immigration activists prepare for the worst / Immigration Reform
Msnbc #39;s Amanda Sakuma and Zack Roth discuss developing news on the immigration front going on at the state level from Texas activists preparing for the wo...

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Immigration activists prepare for the worst / Immigration Reform - Video