Tag Archives: Sen. Dick Durbin

When The Issue Is More Important Than The Solution

Posted on by

Immigration will probably be a major issue in the 2020 presidential election. Traditionally that issue works to benefit the Democrat party. Therefore it is to the Democrats’ advantage to avoid solving the immigration problem in the coming year.

Hot Air posted an article yesterday about Republican’s effort to solve the immigration problem. This is not to suggest that the Republicans are the men in white hats coming to the rescue on principle–this is to suggest that the Republicans want the problem solved so that it cannot be used against them. I really don’t care about the motives–I just want the problem solved.

The article describes the events in the House of Representatives:

“Blame me but we’re not going to stop”, he said. Senator Lindsey Graham, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee kept his promise to move a bill on asylum out of the committee today. Committee Democrats aren’t happy about that. Graham acknowledges his failure to get joint support, but that’s the breaks. He’s moving forward.

“I don’t want to separate families. I want to adjudicate families and I don’t want to release families unless they win their day. So, right now, we’re in the worst of all worlds. We can’t hold children beyond 20 days. If you don’t want to separate the family you have to let them all go because we just don’t have the capability to hold them. This is a mess, it’s a disaster and it needs to change.” He voiced disappointment that the committee couldn’t reach agreement on a broader package but noted he doesn’t want the committee to become irrelevant.

The Democrat members of the committee are not happy about the move:

“I told him it is the first immigration bill before the committee in the last six or seven years. It’s the first partisan immigration bill that we’ve ever had, that I know of,” said U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the chamber’s No. 2 Democrat who has worked with Graham on numerous immigration bills over the years.

“I think it’s a terrible mistake that will sharply divide our committee,” said U.S. Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware, another Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The article notes that the committee is already divided.

The article concludes:

The bill is introducing some pretty basic changes to asylum law, especially in handling families at the border. The proposed increase in immigration judges will help to speed up the process and move migrants more quickly.

It would increase the number of days a family can be held together from 20 days to 100 days, preventing family separations but lengthening the period children could be held in custody with their parents.

It would also require asylum claims be filed in Mexico or a home country instead of the United States, provide funding for 500 new immigration judges and allow unaccompanied minors from Central America to be sent back to their home countries, similar to unaccompanied minors from Canada or Mexico.

Today’s vote should not be controversial, nor should it have been obstructed for as long as it has been. It is Democrats trying desperately to continue to make illegal immigration and open borders a campaign issue in 2020. Democrats would rather prey on a humanitarian crisis than work on real solutions.

Stay tuned. Generally speaking, major legislation does not happen in the last eighteen months before an election. That should give you an idea of how hard Congress actually works.

Ignoring The Law For The Sake Of Politics

Posted on by

Hot Air reported yesterday that Congressional Democrats are in the process of putting together a law requiring all presidential candidates be required to release ten years of tax returns.

The article reports:

In the House, Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) is proposing legislation that would require presidential candidates to release 10 years worth of tax returns and disclose any overseas investments.

And in the Senate, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich) are proposing beefing up financial disclosure forms for all candidates for federal office to require disclosure of overseas investments, including Swiss bank accounts.

The House bill would also require new disclosure of off-shore investments but specifically targeted the tax return issue. Rep. Sander Levin said Romney should “set the example” for future candidates and release his returns. But then he said the law must be changed so release of tax information is not at the discretion of candidates.

“I don’t think there’s any question now in terms of the responsibility of the candidate,” he said. “I think the law ought to now reflect that responsibility.”

This is garbage. According to Askville by Amazon:

Tax Returns and Backup Documentation: Whether personal or business, the general rule is seven years. This may seem like a long time to hold onto these papers, but think of it as an annual cleaning out as new returns are filed. One in … one out and the old adage of “better safe than sorry” will apply. The IRS has 3 years to audit you from the date you file your taxes; however, there are exceptions — these include:

False Return – Tax may be assessed at any time, without limitation.
Willful attempt to avoid tax – Tax may be assessed at any time, without limitation.
No return – Tax may be assessed at any time, without limitation.
Extension by Agreement – Assessment period defined by agreement between IRS and taxpayer.
Tax resulting from changes in certain income or estate tax credits – No timeframe defined.
Tax resulting form distributions or terminations from a life insurance company – 3 years
Termination of private foundation status – Tax may be assessed at any time, without limitation.
Substantial omission of items (generally defined as over/under reporting of income by 25% – 6 years.
These Limitations of Assessment and Collection are defined in federal law. Please see 26 USC 6501.

Please note–unless there is suspicion of a crime or a serious problem, the IRS only requires people to even keep three years of tax returns. The maximum requirement of the IRS is 6 years. This law is aimed at one person and one person only. That fact alone is a threat to the American legal and political systems. It is law that targets Mitt Romney during a political campaign. This is disgusting.

Remember, these are the same people who haven’t been able to find the time to pass a federal budget during the past three years. I truly think they have their priorities a little backwards.