Hold Their Feet to the Fire 2009: The People’s Chance to Weigh In on Immigration Reform
Once again, the power elite in Washington are preparing to promote immigration reform legislation that features a massive illegal alien amnesty. And, once again, the White House and congressional leaders are attempting to shut the American people out of the discussion. So, for the fifth time in the past six years, the people who talk to and with the American people on a daily basis came to Washington, en masse, to hold Congress’s feet to the fire.
Organized by FAIR, Hold Their Feet to the Fire 2009 brought 44 talk radio hosts from across the United States to the nation’s capital to hold a dialogue with the American people about immigration policy and how it can be reformed to serve their interests. Broadcasting from the Phoenix Park Hotel, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol, the 44 hosts blanketed the nation’s radio airwaves with informative discussions about nearly every aspect of U.S. immigration policy.
Co-hosted by nationally syndicated talk host Roger Hedgecock, Hold Their Feet to the Fire 2009 reached millions of radio listeners around the country. On September 15 and 16, dozens of immigration policy experts and members of both houses of Congress circulated among the 44 talk hosts to present their ideas about how to reform America’s immigration system and to take calls from concerned citizens.
Hold Their Feet to the Fire 2009 provided the people’s counterpoint to the months of closed door discussions, including two high level meetings held at the White House over the summer, about immigration policy and plans for forthcoming legislation, which largely excluded representation from those who oppose mass amnesty. Thanks to the efforts of FAIR and our strong relationships with talk radio hosts, Hold Their Feet to the Fire sent a very clear message to President Obama and congressional leaders: The American people demand a voice in the immigration policy debate.
As in past years, Hold Their Feet to the Fire was not merely a media event, but a true grassroots effort for immigration reform. While the talk radio hosts were holding a dialogue with the American people, activists from across the country came to Washington, at their own expense, to meet with members of Congress and their staffs about the need to reform U.S. immigration policy in the public interest.
Organized by FAIR’s field staff, Lobby Days 2009 included 180 immigration reform activists from 31 states. These activists were joined by 75 additional citizen lobbyists who accompanied talk host Roger Hedgecock from Southern California. Over the two days, participants held 1,120 meetings with congressional offices. (Some House and Senate offices hosted multiple meetings with activists.)
While amnesty and open borders have the support of special interests who can hire high-priced lobbyists to promote their agenda, FAIR and the immigration reform movement are truly fortunate to have the support of Americans who commit their time, money and energy to securing a better future for our country. Their presence on Capitol Hill will leave an indelible impression on many members of the U.S. Congress as they consider how to reform America’s immigration policies.
With 44 talk hosts broadcasting hundreds of hours of discussion about immigration policy to millions of listeners, Hold Their Feet to the Fire 2009 was an unqualified success for FAIR and for the immigration reform movement. The fact that each year talk show hosts return to participate in Hold Their Feet to the Fire and each year new talk hosts are added is a testament to the central role that FAIR plays in the immigration policy debate.
The success of Hold Their Feet to the Fire will inevitably pay huge dividends as FAIR works to protect the interests of the American people in the immigration debate. With President Obama and leaders of Congress promising a renewed effort to enact an illegal alien amnesty in 2010, the network of talk radio hosts who speak to millions of Americans each day will provide FAIR an invaluable platform to educate the American people about the consequences of any bill brought before Congress.
Special recognition for the success of Hold Their Feet to the Fire goes to fair’s communications director Bob Dane, who was the principal organizer and coordinator of this event. Putting together an event of this size and complexity required months of planning and preparation, all of which was coordinated by Bob. The event also could not have succeeded without the technical wizardry of Steve Kirsch and his crew at Silver Lake Audio of Rockville Center, New York, who flawlessly got every one of the participating talk radio programs on the air from the Phoenix Park Hotel.
