October 30th 2009 Edition

Capitol Connection

FAIR’s Government Relations Team Pushes for Passage of Vitter/Bennett Census Amendment

On Monday, October 19, FAIR’s Government Relations (GR) team initially reported on an amendment offered by Senators David Vitter (R-LA) and Robert Bennett (R-UT) to the bill that will fund the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and certain federal science programs (CJS) for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2010. The Vitter/Bennet amendment would require the Census Bureau – which is part of the Department of Commerce – to include questions about citizenship and immigration status on the forms to be used in the upcoming 2010 Census.

The census is used to apportion seats in Congress among the states, which, in turn, influences the composition of the Electoral College that elects the President. In addition, certain federal programs rely on census data to determine how federal funds are dispersed, even though illegal aliens and new immigrants are not eligible for some of these programs. This means that states with large illegal alien populations receive more than their fair share of federal funding at the expense of other states. The Vitter/Bennett amendment would lay the groundwork for reforming how Congressional seats are apportioned by disregarding illegal aliens and other non-citizens so that they are no longer able to affect both the outcome of U.S. elections and the dispersal of funding for certain federal programs. Accordingly, FAIR’s GR team has been tracking the progress of the Vitter/Bennet amendment closely, keeping our members informed on its progress, and urging our members to call their Senators and express their support for this important provision.

Following our initial report on the Vitter/Bennett amendment, the GR team sent an Action Alert to our dedicated members and activists, urging them to tell their Senators to: (1) “Support the Vitter/Bennett amendment to the FY2010 CJS spending bill,” and (2) “Oppose any effort to shut off debate over this amendment, and oppose any effort to invoke cloture on the CJS bill, until the Vitter amendment gets the up-or-down vote it deserves!” On Monday, October 26, FAIR’s Legislative Update discussed “serious implications” associated with the Vitter/Bennett amendment, and FAIR Executive Director Julie Kirchner presented a historical analysis on how previous censuses have included questions on citizenship in an entry posted on FAIR’s blog, The Stein Report. Also on October 26, FAIR’s GR team posted a podcast discussion on how census data is used to determine the allocation of nearly $400 billion of federal funding each year, meaning that, under the current system, states with higher illegal alien populations will get more federal funds at the expense of states with lower illegal alien populations.

Special interest groups – and their allies in Congress – are attempting to block the Vitter/Bennett amendment. Two weeks ago, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) used a parliamentary maneuver in a failed attempt to block a vote on the Vitter/Bennett amendment. Reid has now stalled movement on the FY2010 CJS bill as he searches for another way to block a vote on this important measure. Stay tuned to FAIR for the latest developments on the Vitter/Bennet census amendment…

FAIR in Your Community

Success in Freemont, NE

FAIR's legal arm, The Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), helped the town of Fremont, Nebraska, draft and propose an illegal-immigration ordinance that would ban renting to and hiring illegal immigrants in the city. The case was certified this week to go directly to the Nebraska Supreme Court over some issues involving when the City may challenge the ordinance and whether the ordinance violates Nebraska’s Single Subject Rule. Should the Nebraska Supreme Court rule in favor of the ordinance, the ordinance will go to a vote. IRLI was initially successful in winning the arguments on both ordinance issues at the district court. The oral arguments in the Supreme Court are expected to take place sometime in January 2010.

Media Interviews Around the Country

FAIR Media Team Continues Communications Blitz

• Over the past two weeks FAIR’s media and communications team gave interviews to four radio stations (including NPR’s affiliate in Seattle), and four TV stations (including interviews with Telemundo and Univision).

Kudos

Kudos to Harris County (Texas) Commissioners. On October 28, 2009 the Harris County Commissioners voted 4-1 to continue a 287(g) agreement with the Department of Homeland Security. Section 287(g) agreements across the United States have been responsible for the deportation of tens of thousands of illegal alien criminals that would otherwise have gone free.