Comprehensive Strategy for Anti-Amnesty Fight in July

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If we want to defeat the amnesty bill that currently passed the Senate, and moreover to start moving the country in an immigration restrictionist direction, we need to have a good strategy to turn things against this bill, to defeat and destroy the bill, and to start a movement to push things in the other direction. Specific tactics will be added over the next day or so, in bold.

There are eight parts to a my proposed amnesty-defeating strategy. Parts 2 and 3 are particularly urgent and should be done before Wednesday for maximum effectiveness (Wednesday the House GOP is having a caucus to discuss immigration strategy). This will help to determine the tone of the debate over the course of the next month. That is not to say not to keep it up after Wednesday, we need to keep pounding the phone lines. Anything that involves calling legislators probably would be more effective if done before Wednesday as well. More of my specifically pre-caucus strategy is available in this post.

(1) We need to change the milieu. That means that the overall mood in the House has to be one of "amnesty is unpopular and the people are angry." Whatever procedural tricks we have to defend against (or use against the bill) and whatever specific people we have to target, the more that the pro-amnesty forces have to fight an uphill battle and the more the anti-amnesty forces have the conspicuous force of public opinion backing them, the easier it will be to win each fight. Most importantly, if we can get a majority of the House to oppose amnesty, then the ability to use procedural tricks to pass amnesty will be greatly reduced.

Go to NumbersUSA.com, sign their petition (if it shows up at the front page) and then sign up for their Action Alerts. Use their Action buffet to send faxes to your Congressman opposing amnesty, and to find talking points for phone calls. Beyond that, make your own phone calls to your Congressman (you can find the information at NumbersUSA or using a search engine), telling them to oppose any legalization of illegal aliens. It does not matter if your Congressman is very pro-amnesty. The goal is to bury them with anti-amnesty calls. This will encourage amnesty opponents and frighten amnesty supporters.

It also would not hurt to find the information for your two Senators and to call them, either expressing anger at them if they voted for S. 744, and happiness with them if they voted against it. Votes are listed here. If your Senator was one of the 15 who tried to kill the bill out of the gate by voting "no" on starting debate (see here), give them extra thanks. This could help in the future.

Checking your Congressman's schedule for town halls, etc. is not a bad idea, or calling their local offices to find out if they are attending any town hall-like events.

Order copies of "They Come to America" and "They Come to America II" (order here) and sending three, one to each Senator and one to your Congressman (preferably to their local office, where they will likely get there sooner - hand delivery is best, mail is a second option; NumbersUSA or your legislators' websites should have the necessary information), is not a bad idea. Put a note with them saying "I am disappointed that the Senate passed an "immigration reform" bill that contains a massive amnesty. Please watch this DVD that shows what a disaster any such amnesty could cause." (Or, write your own note). Send copies to friends and relatives as well.

It would also help to organize events opposing amnesty, or to find out if there are events and to attend them. One such event is the Black American Leadership Alliance's July 15 DC March for Jobs. If you cannot attend, use Twitter, email lists, Facebook, whatever, to publicize the event and if you can afford to do so, please donate to help them.

If you know of additional events, please say so in the comments.

(2) We need to influence the leadership to be subordinate to our side. Speaker Boehner, Majority Leader Cantor, and Majority Whip McCarthy need to be scared of our side and to be intimidated by the sheer rage against the Senate Bill. This would be the most effective if done before the July 10 (Wednesday) meeting of House Republicans to discuss strategy on immigration.

Call the leadership up (messages for each are included):

Boehner: (202 225-0600)
"This is [Name, address, phone number]. The Senate immigration bill, S. 744, is an atrocity that would destroy the middle- and working-classes and that makes a mockery of the rule of law. No immigration bill coming out of the House will be safe from the conference threat as long as S.744 stands. S. 744 contains language that makes it a tax and spending bill, which Constitutionally means it cannot originate in the Senate. Please blue slip S. 744. Cantor: (202) 225-2815)
"This is [Name, address, phone number]. I am concerned about the immigration legislation that the Senate recently passed. No legalization, even temporary or probationary, of illegal aliens should even be considered until the border is secure, no increase in work visas until unemployment is below 6% and until our entry-exit system is working. These need to be the principles that any House-based immigration reform is based on. Moreover, no immigration bills at all should be passed in the House until S. 744 is killed. S. 744 is a terribly destructive bill and we cannot risk allowing a House bill to go into conference with it.
McCarthy: (202) 225-2915
"This is [Name, address, phone number]. Please oppose the Senate-passed immigration legislation, S. 744, and please use your position as whip to help prevent House Republicans from supporting it or a similar bill, or from supporting any bill that would go into conference committee with it.

(3) We need to increase the leverage of the anti-amnesty caucus. This includes the 70 (hopefully more now) people that are behind Steve King. Again, the more you can do by July 10 (Wednesday) the better.

We can do this in two ways: first, give money to their campaigns and contact them to let them know why. Here are 15 members who went the extra mile and attended an anti-amnesty Tea Party rally. We can also call their numbers and thank them. Unless you are from their district, don't bother with contact information. Here are their D.C. numbers and a sample message.

(4) We need to neutralize pro-amnesty forces, particularly in the Democratic caucus. This means raising the profile of the few pro-enforcement/anti-amnesty Democrats, and cowing the pro-amnesty Democrats (most importantly the ones in competitive districts) so that they do not push "immigration reform" too hard.

Two Democrats in particular seem to be possible allies so far: Oregon's Peter DeFazio has supported enforcement efforts earlier this year, and Georgia's John Barrow proposed an enforcement-only immigration bill. It would not hurt to call their offices (DeFazio's DC Office (202) 225-6416 Barrow's DC Office (202) 225-2823) and tell their staffers something along the lines of: "Thank you for your stand in favor of enforcement of our immigration laws. Please continue stand for enforcement of our immigration laws and please stand against amnesty for illegal aliens. I hope more Democrats follow your lead." If you are a constituent, leave your contact info, otherwise just give your name.

(5) We need to neutralize potential backstabbers like Paul Ryan and House Republican members of the Congressional Gang of Seven to reduce the chance of them trying to slip amnesty legislation by Congress, starting a discharge petition, etc.

Call Paul Ryan at (202) 225-3031 and tell him "This is [your name] Just a warning – the Tea Party is watching. I know you would dearly love to pull a Rubio and support amnesty legislation in the House. Don’t. Try and we’ll make sure you can’t get elected dogcatcher." Or tell him "I know you are trying to work out an immigration proposal with Carlos Guiterrez. He has already indicated that he feels more loyalty to illegal aliens than to American citizens and he gloats at illegal aliens flaunting their status at powerless state law enforcement. How can you work with a person like that? You better not try to push amnesty in the House or the Tea Party will make certain you can't get elected dogcatcher!

It would also be helpful to call the Republican members of the House "Gang of Eight" (names link to contact information), and say something along the lines of "Hello, my name is [name]. I know that immigration is coming up in the House. I notice that you were a member of the House "Gang of Eight" (in the case of Labrador, add "until you left the group"). Your willingness to work with open-borders advocates like Carlos Guiterrez on an immigration bill worries me. I hope that in the House you will stand with Steve King and take a strong stance against amnesty. The Tea Party is watching."

(6) We need to control the talking points.

Examples:
(a) A "pathway to legalization" is amnesty.
(b) We do not need more guest workers/visas/foreign workers, we have unemployed Americans who need those jobs.
(c) There are no "jobs American won't do" if offered a fair wage. (d) Enforcement must be dealt with in a stand-alone bill, and before any bills legalizing illegal aliens is even considered.
(e) Promises to increase enforcement after legalization cannot be trusted.
(f) Amendments that increase the promises of post-legalization enforcement do not answer our border security concerns.
(g) However bad the current situation is, the Senate Bill would make things worse.

Call people who make statements that are weak - Bob Goodlatte said that Republicans might support a pathway to legalization. Call him ((202) 225-5431) and tell him that a pathway to legalization IS amnesty. We want enforcement only, no legalization. Blake Farenthold (202-225-7742) is a little too sympathetic to the interests of the illegals and you should call him and tell him "No legalization for illegals! Legalization is amnesty! A path to legalization is amnesty! 'Earned legalization' is amnesty!" I'm sure you can find other straddlers who need their spines stiffened.

Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX)gave an interview on "Face the Nation" where he came out somewhat well, but he made a few disturbing statements:

McCaul channeled a remark from House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, that Republicans "need to be the party of solutions and not always obstructing." But politics from the other side, he worried, pose a threat to the House's GOP majority.

"I am deeply concerned that the effort should be bipartisan - border security on my committee was (an) unanimously approved, completely bipartisan bill," he said. "My concern of the political backdrop could be that the White House would like to see this fail in the House so that it can blame the House of Representatives for that and then try to take back the House of Representatives. And then, all bets are off on his agenda."

He also expressed hope for a conference committee with the Senate.

You might want to call him ((202) 225-2401) and tell him "I am a little disturbed by some of the things you said on "Face the Nation" about the immigration bill. You implied that the GOP was too obstructionist. With all due respect, given the crap sandwich that is the Senate bill, I think they should be obstructionist. And you seem overly concerned about the effects of the bill dying in the House. The bill is so unpopular that I think that the House GOP would be seen as heroes if it fails. And I am very worried about what would happen to any GOP bill that makes it to conference committee with the Senate bill. Until S.744 is dead, there should be no conference."

(7) We need to make certain that we are aware of all of the procedural tricks that can be used to get amnesty passed, and to counteract them. We also need to be aware of all of the tricks that can stymie amnesty, and be sure to use them.

Basically, look to VDARE and NumbersUSA and just generally keep your ear to the ground. Once a threat emerges (discharge petition, conference committee), it generally gets publicized very quickly.

(8) Delay is key. The longer we can delay the process of immigration reform moving through the House, the more public opposition to amnesty will grow.

I will update this post adding specific tactics over the next day or so.

That is all.