McMorris Rodgers could help reform immigration

Among Cathy McMorris Rodgers’s negative legacies she leaves as US Representative, her most impactful may be on immigration. However, she still has time to improve that.

Donald Trump cares nothing about our country, just his election. Accordingly, he recently ordered all Republicans to scuttle the bipartisan, long-negotiated Senate deal supporting Ukraine and limiting immigration that would be a victory for President Joe Biden. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, an election-denier, obeyed Trump by withholding a full House vote, despite enough bipartisan votes for passage.

Having nominated Speaker Johnson and having always voiced support for Ukraine and for controlling immigration, McMorris Rodgers presumably could influence Johnson’s actions. The Spokesman-Review recently asked whether she attempted to change Johnson’s mind, but she refused a definitive answer. Now that the chance to rescue the rare bipartisan deal is past, Johnson is resisting yet another opportunity to support Ukraine in a funding bill passed by bipartisan Senators.

McMorris Rodgers could contribute to immigration reform by correcting constant Republican misinformation; for example, crime rates and violent crime rates for both documented and undocumented immigrants are actually lower than for native-born Americans (PBS Newshour, 2/27/2024).

But her likely worst immigration legacy she can’t erase: she and then-Republican House Speaker John Boehner blocked a full House vote on comprehensive immigration reform, endorsed by then-President Barack Obama, despite enough bipartisan House votes for passage — this after the Senate passed it overwhelmingly, 68 to 32 on June 27 2013.

So influencing Johnson might earn McMorris Rodgers some redemption.

Norm Luther