WASHINGTON – New reports surfaced Tuesday that the Biden administration had signaled support for forcing its amnesty proposal through Congress using reconciliation, which would in effect circumvent the filibuster on a divisive political issue. White House officials attempted to walk this back Wednesday, but these reports are still troubling. Heritage’s Lora Ries, Chad Wolf, Ken Cuccinelli, and Mark Morgan released a statement Wednesday condemning any move by Congress or the White House to ram through amnesty via reconciliation: 

“Joe Biden ran a campaign promising to ‘return to norms,’ but has shown that he is interested in just the opposite. As a former senator, he knows how radical it would be to force amnesty through the Senate using reconciliation. His administration’s subsequent denial that he supports doing so is largely irrelevant, as he will undoubtedly sign whatever measure Congress sends him.

 

“For the administration and congressional Democrats, illegal immigration is about changing the electorate for their own political gain. With support for a massive amnesty tanking in the midst of Biden’s border crisis, it’s appalling that the administration, and its willing accomplices in Congress, would blatantly support violating historical norms and Congress’ own rules to ram through the largest amnesty in U.S. history – one that would hurt poor and working Americans, crater trust in our democratic institutions, and impose massive costs on American taxpayers.

 

“Amnesty would only throw gasoline on the fire already raging at the southern border. Promising full citizenship to illegal aliens would result in more illegal aliens crossing our border. It would also impose massive social costs for U.S. taxpayers and rip employment opportunities away from the poor and working Americans who need them most, especially as we try to recover from the pandemic. It is unconscionable that the U.S. government would allow illegal aliens to 'jump the line' past legal immigrants who have played by the rules, but that is exactly what the left is proposing. Those who care about protecting poor and working Americans, preserving our rules-based immigration system, and respecting the law should stand up and unequivocally condemn and prevent efforts to undermine them all.

 

“This amnesty push is not about fixing our immigration system or securing our borders – it’s about the left trying to secure permanent power to implement its radical agenda. Our national sovereignty, security, and well-being should not be traded on the cheap for political gain.”