In one of the most interesting and competitive congressional primaries in the nation, two Republicans battling to represent a district in Central Florida -- U.S. Rep. John Mica and U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams -- are looking to rally conservatives to their banner by hammering President Barack Obamas immigration policies.
Despite differences between the two Republicans -- Mica is a veteran of Congress since winning election to it in 1992 while Adams, who served eight years in Tallahassee in the Florida House of Representatives, was first elected to her current post in 2010 -- they both took aim at Obamas stance on immigration.
?Mica looked to score points with conservatives on Monday as he came out swinging against the immigration reforms that Obama announced last week.
??You may have heard about President Obama's decision last week to grant amnesty to hundreds of thousands and potentially millions of illegal immigrants, Mica wrote to supporters in an email sent out on Monday. This unilateral adjustment to our immigration policy is another Obama administration decision that undermines our laws.
Our policies should be trying to penalize illegal immigration, not reward those who abuse the law, Mica continued. Granting legal status or benefits to those who entered America illegally is not acceptable in any manner.
Instead of securing the border, the Obama administration has continually taken steps to undermine our national immigration laws, Mica insisted, noting that the Obama administration sued Arizona over its immigration law. The Federal government has left the states with unstable borders, mounting violence and limited resources to fight illegal immigration, while at the same time handicapping their ability to enforce laws. Now, we have an election-year amnesty that was passed without any debate.
Adams also called out Obama on the issue, insisting that he was playing politics instead of helping Americans impacted by the continuing economic dowturn.
I am outraged by President Obamas decision to circumvent Congress and ignore the rule of law, Adams said in a statement released late on Friday. Once again, the president has undermined our Constitution in favor of election year politics. By granting amnesty to potentially hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, President Obamas unilateral policy shift will have massive ramifications for unemployed Americans looking for jobs.
Adams ended with one last shot at Obama. It is time for the president to start acting like he actually cares about the well-being of the American people instead of winning his re-election, she said.
Among the rest of the Florida delegation, support for the presidents action reflected party lines.
President Obama took bold and decisive action to protect hundreds of thousands of young people who have grown up as Americans but through no fault of their own lack the legal ability to be here," insisted U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fl, on Friday. "This policy will protect heroic members of our military and hardworking students who simply want a chance to fulfill the American dream and contribute to the country they love. Though only action by Congress can provide these individuals with an actual path to citizenship, the president's decision is an important step forward and a powerful reminder of his commitment to comprehensive immigration reform."
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859
