WASHINGTON • Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt joined the majority of Republicans who voted Monday against the so-called "border surge" amendment, an indication of a stark difference of opinion in the GOP on overhauling immigration laws.
Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk was among 14 Republicans aligning with Democrats in the 67-27 vote to advance the amendment. It calls for investing $30 billion in border security and doubling the number of border patrol agents.
"A secure border and a path to citizenship are good for Illinois' economy and good for Illinois jobs, and I look forward to supporting its final passage in the coming days," Kirk said after the vote.
But Blunt, who has watched his own security proposals defeated, did not find the key amendment appealing.
Blunt said Monday evening he was "concerned it does not adequately put border security first, which must be our top priority. I’m also increasingly concerned the administration objects to measurable results on border security, even though they admit 100 percent awareness is, in fact, possible."
Speaking on the McGraw Milhaven's KTRS morning program, Blunt on Monday said Congress needs to approach immigration legislation with care.
"We only have, in my view, one shot at this every 20 years or so," he said. "
"We ought to be sure we get this right. And there's no chance that the bill that's before the Senate right now would pass the House. Let's talk about how you make law rather than how you create a political talking point."
Ed Martin, chairman of the Missouri GOP, said that he, too, opposes the latest bipartisan compromise in Washington and that many Missouri Republicans are concerned about the direction of immigration legislation.
"It's pretty clear that the Missouri Republican Partydoesn't support amnesty, wants to secure the border first and doesn't want to see the people who are breaking the rules rewarded. I think most of us are very concerned," he said.
Martin said he had no polling data on which to base his conclusion and dismissed a recent poll sponsored by immigration reform advocates that found 72 percent of Missourians supporting legislation being considered in the Senate.
That poll did not measure attitudes about border security, Martin noted.
"It's very, very hot now. The phones are lighting up," Martin said, arguing that Missourians have just begun to focus on the legislation.
Martin rejected the recent assertion by GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, that Republicans must pass immigration legislation in order to pull the party out of a "demographic death spiral" and compete in presidential elections.
"It's patently false," Martin said. "If you look at the data in the last election, it is not the Hispanic Americans who caused the (Republicans') loss."
The American Conservative Union on Monday endorsed the border surge plan, pressing for "a significant majority vote" in final passage.
The ACU, which describes itself as the oldest and largest conservative organization in the country, said that provisions in the border surge amendment "will inspire confidence that we will not have another wave of illegal immigrants in the future."
Martin observed that the conservative union is Washington-based, adding that he sees as a disconnect between Washington and the rest of the country on immigration.
"I'm telling you where the voters are and where the people are," he said.
Business leaders in the St. Louis region are part of a coalition pressing for the immigration law overhaul.
As Martin sees it, businesses supporting the legislation "need to be on the hot seat. There's a reason, and part of it is convenience of labor, but a lot of it is lower wages, and Republicans need to be clear on that."
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