In NY Times op-ed, Sen. Tom Cotton argues for less legal immigration

Fri, Dec 30th

Ever since Donald Trump nominated Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) to be the next Attorney General, all of you/us immigration reductionists have been wondering who could/would pick up his baton and truly lead the Senate fight AGAINST immigration expansionism and FOR less immigration.

We may have found the answer this week in the New York Times.

An op-ed by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) eloquently made the case for immigration policy serving the interests of Americans who work hard and play by the rules, rather than helping the affluent live even more comfortable lives. And then Cotton wrote these magic words:

"THAT MEANS A LARGE REDUCTION IN LEGAL IMMIGRATION"

There have been lots of Senators who proclaim the need to get ILLEGAL immigration under control.

But few have clearly stated the need for LEGAL reductions, and certainly not the way Sen. Sessions has done in scores of speeches, media interviews, press releases, op-eds and position papers over the last decade.

Every other suggestion on changing immigration policy has far more meaning and far more promise for the average American when placed in the context that the overall immigration numbers have to be reduced.

Our Jim Robb sent you an email yesterday noting that unless immigration laws are changed soon, they are set to add another 45 million immigrants with lifetime work permits by 2050. (That comes from Pew Research.) Sen. Cotton has boldly laid down his marker in the New York Times that the 45 million number cannot be allowed to happen.

Sen. Cotton explained:

After all, the law of supply and demand is not magically suspended in the labor market. As immigrant labor has flooded the country, working-class wages have collapsed. Wages for Americans with only high school diplomas have declined by 2 percent since the late 1970s, and for those who didn't finish high school, they have declined by nearly 20 percent, according to Economic Policy Institute figures.

"No doubt automation and globalization have also affected wages, but mass immigration accelerates these trends with surplus labor, which of course decreases wages. Little wonder, then, that these Americans voted for the candidate who promised higher wages and less immigration instead of all the candidates -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- who promised essentially more of the same on immigration."

Read our Van Esser's news story with key excerpts from the Cotton op-ed.

COMBAT PLATOON LEADER

There is little in Cotton's background to cast doubt on whether he has the courage to back his convictions.

An Arkansas farm boy who earned undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard, he soon left the comfort of a law firm to enlist in the U.S. Army in 2005. Instead of accepting a commission in the legal corps, he entered at the corporal rank and worked his way into a commission as a Second Lieutenant of Infantry.

Wikepedia states that in Iraq, "he led a 41-man air assault infantry plattoon in the 50th Infantry Regiment, and planned and performed daily combat patrols." He later served in Afghanistan during his five years of active duty.

A VICTOR OVER RYAN ON GANG OF 8 AMNESTY

In 2013, his very first year in the U.S. House of Representatives, Cotton went toe to toe with Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio). It was in a closed-door meeting of House Republicans to discuss what to do with the Gang of Eight amnesty and legal immigration doubling that the Senate had passed.

Ryan stood at one podium arguing for the Gang of Eight. At the other podium was Cotton, a freshman of only six months, arguing our side -- the people's side -- including what were described as "terse" exchanges with Speaker Boehner.

The majority of House Republicans sided with the young Cotton, who even today is only 39. The Gang of Eight giant immigration expansion was never brought up in the House of Representatives.

In 2014, Cotton defeated incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Pryor who had severely weakened his standing in the state by supporting the Gang of Eight after opposing amnesties in earlier years.

Now only a second-year Senator, Cotton's decision to put himself out front so publicly in the New York Times this week is an indication that he wants to be seen as somebody who will carry the populist immigration torch for Pres.-elect Trump -- as well as hold Sen. Sessions' baton -- in the Senate.

We will be watching closely for actions that prove that to be true. And wouldn't it be nice if several Senators had enough courage of these same convictions to want to compete for the torch and baton?

You need to be a member of The Patriots For America to add comments!

Join The Patriots For America

Email me when people reply –

Replies

  • Sounds like an excellent idea.  America for Americans, we no longer need any immigrants.

  • Perhaps the Illegal Immigrants need to be granted an additional 20 years in our Country -- IN PRISON!!!!! -- and then deported.

    • Mr. Barrus,

      Who, exactly, do you propose should pay the costs related directly to incarcerating "...the illegal immigrants...." for the next 20 years? The illegal immigrants themselves? In a nation whose economy grows more tenuous on a daily basis, why would you (and I) pay for their incarceration for 20 years before deporting them? I disagree 100% with your logic and your thinking. Why not simply deport them, with due process, now?

      Col. Randall Smith, Commander

      Civil Defense Nationwide Emergency Communications Network

    • Interesting Steve.........

  • I cannot believe that people just do not get that "If you do not respect OUR laws" than 1) you are a law breaker and 2) you have no reason to be here...is that not all so simple ??? Muslims come in -live off or largess and then DEMAND we have Sharia... South Americans come in illegally and 8 times out of ten-they perform illegal acts, be it the sex trade/trafficking, or drugs, or murder or mayhem...hey folks they ARE breaking the law! and yes there is that ole wage thing and so many Americans ARE out of jobs and searching. BUT another problem I have is that we are rewarding their law-breaking deeds, by giving them food stamps, housing, medical etc. Why are we doing that when so many of us are either starving, homeless or are barley making it ourselves. Then do notice, once many of these (notice I did not state all, but many) Muslims come in, we start them off by assisting them, but they never go off of that very assistance, instead having 2, 3 or even four wives, each having about 5 kids each ALL on the system, and yes in my little town in North East PA this IS happening, Muslims here for 3 months, 2 years, 5 years all on assistance and it IS as well killing our medical field because many having all sorts of problems and have to be covered by medicaid which pays very poorly to doctors and hospitals, how are they helping the community, they are not giving, they are taking and then they are DEMANDING that WE change to accommodate THEM, and people have a "wonder" as to why we have a problem?????

    • This is one area with which I disagree with you.  Fact of the matter is, those here illegally for 15-20 years, who have completely integrated, paid their taxes, lived an other-wise lawful life, consider themselves to really be Americans rather than their origins, raised their children to be true Americans, etc., etc., many who own small businesses and are fine, upstanding American citizens.....like it or not, our government was complicit in allowing them to remain.  So, I say those situations need to be looked at from a reasonable and practical point of view as to what they actually contribute to our country and some kind of accommodation offered.

      • OK, I see your point of view, with just 2 additional points 1) They DID come in illegally, if you or I broke a law, we would have been punished-that is a FACT...2) We are speaking now of the "newer illegals coming in especially in the past several years and those breaking serious laws, like sex-trafficking, murder and drugs. I am sorry but your point in talking about these families that have been here for years and years with innocent children, for sure THEY are NOT the ones getting deported, or, nor are they the ones that a new administration will be looking at, we just have way too many law breakers coming into this nation that we need to concentrate on,,,so, your point maybe of a concern-it is a very, very minor point, because I seriously never see them deporting these folks, matter of fact there is much talk about "fast tracking those particular families. And truthfully that statement above is what keeps being thrown into the whole argument making the rest of us look like we are prejudiced or have no heart where it is the furthest from the truth and frankly I find an offensive argument, because it is NOT them that we are concerned about, matter of fact those ARE the type of families we want in this nation. They HAVE assimilated, they HAVE worked-not bleed the system, they HAVE paid taxes. So opinion and comment is appreciated by me, but also an insult to me. I have family that are 1/2 half Mexican they came legally, My father an immigrant came legally, my grandmother the same, we have all followed laws and paid taxes and fought for our new nation, there are many of us that have great value-so much more than those that only want to take, to break the law and to hurt the true immigrants-that hurt those that are seeking asylum, for those seeking a new new life, for those seeking an escape from the horrors of their nation

      • They came here ILLEGALLY.  Ship them back where they came from!  Judith you speak like many RINO's with your statement.

  • How many times have I talked about this...about "population". It was explained to us many, many years ago about the "population explosion" and how we need to cut back on having kids...irony of ironies is that WE did, but the 3rd world nations did not. Now we have Senators like Paul Ryan and Rubio and, and, and telling us that we "need immigration" so that we have "workers and tax payers" that THEY want to INCREASE the H1B visas by 500%.... Now I ask you, yes we have a crisis of tax payers to make up for the "retiring population" BUT are we getting that when the immigrants wind up TAKING from the very system that they were brought in here to feed???? Including all these refugees and illegals, actually this last group is SUCKING on the teat of actual tax payers and THEY are multiplying like rabbits ! Now what kind of reward are Americans that built, bled, fought, and died for WE did the right thing, WE had less kids, and now we have to accept the edict that because we did the right thing that we MUST accept third worlders and that it is for "our benefit' and that we are "racists and selfish"?????

This reply was deleted.