Will GOP Use Guns and Gay Rights to Derail Immigration Reform?

Let's be clear about something: despite the half-ass GOP blather about wanting to court the Hispanic vote and enacted needed immigration reform, most in the GOP - especially those in the white supremacist filled base - do not really want any reform.  They oppose anything that might increase the number of minority voters.  Likewise, they oppose anything that might enable bi-national gay partners ot gain green cards and they oppose aspects of proffered gun control vis-a-vis immigrants.  As Politico reports guns and gays among other issues may well be resurrected in the immigration reform fight and used by the GOP to kill any reform.  Here are highlights:

As the Senate prepares to consider immigration reform next week, two powerful issues dividing lawmakers could be resurrected on the floor: guns and gay rights.

But debate over amendments to restrict gun ownership for illegal immigrants and to provide foreign-born gay partners with U.S. citizenship would reopen old wounds that both parties would rather see closed — even if those measures ultimately fail.

Here is POLITICO’s list of five issues to watch in the immigration floor debate:

Guns
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), one of the Senate’s most ardent gun control advocates since the Newtown school shootings in his home state, is looking at offering a pair of amendments aimed at restricting immigrants’ access to guns.

One amendment would broaden an existing ban on certain immigrants buying guns to those who came into the U.S. on visa waivers. The other would require the attorney general to notify Homeland Security officials if undocumented immigrants or immigrants on temporary visas try to buy firearms, which is illegal.  After lively debate, a recent Senate push failed to impose background checks on commercial gun sales.

Gay rights
The most emotionally charged debate over the immigration bill came in its final moments, when Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) put forward — and ultimately withdrew — an amendment to extend immigration rights to gay partners.

Gay-rights groups will continue to pressure lawmakers as the bill heads to the floor. Democrats may introduce the amendment there, where a 60-vote threshold would be harder to meet but senators could go on the record for or against it.

Complicating matters, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal statute that states marriage is between a man and a woman. If the law is struck down, gay couples may be able to petition for green cards, and a legislative fix could be unnecessary.

“The amendment would be a critical insurance policy for binational couples if a ruling has not yet been handed down before the final vote,” said Steve Ralls, the communications director for Immigration Equality, which advocates for immigration rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people. “If we have a bad ruling from the court, the amendment becomes especially critical.”

Taxes and benefits
In committee, the Gang successfully lured Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) — a key swing vote — by adopting certain changes that the Utah senator demanded on high-tech visas.  They’ll have to work to keep him.

Hatch has now turned attention to his four amendments on taxes and benefit provisions, which he says must be included in order to win his support on the overall bill. For example, Hatch wants to require undocumented immigrants to prove they have paid back taxes

But immigration advocates have raised concerns that the substance of Hatch’s amendments could dramatically affect the ability of immigrants — particularly those who are poor — to apply to become legalized.

Border security

Border security will be a key test of whether reform can pick up a slew of Republican votes considered in play for the overall bill.

Guest workers
The delicately-negotiated compromise between the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and labor unions on lesser-skilled workers could be the target of changes during the amendments process.

In the current legislation, the number of low-skilled visas starts at 20,000 in the bill’s first year, followed by 35,000 in the second, 55,000 in the third year and 75,000 the following year. The bill also includes wage and labor-friendly requirements for businesses.

Changes to the guest-worker program that yanks it too far to the right or left could upset the deal between the two powerful interests that have major influence in reform’s success.