Is the Tide Turning on Immigration?
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The President and a bipartisan group of Senators sound like they might agree on immigration reform, but the road to actual compromise could be long and stormy, and the Congress has yet to be heard from. We hear emerging disagreements over border security, a "path to citizenship" and other issues. Also, the economy unexpectedly shrank in the fourth quarter. On Reporter's Notebook, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, the NRA's Wayne LaPierre and gun control.
Banner image: Mike Schinkel
Making News
Economy Unexpectedly Shrank in Fourth Quarter ()
For the first time since 2009, America's Gross Domestic Product declined in the fourth quarter, "a surprising development that could give hints of the economic challenges to come." That's according to Neil Irwin, columnist at the Washington Post and Economics Editor of the paper's Wonkblog. He's also the author of the forthcoming book, The Alchemists: Three Central Bankers and a World on Fire.
Guests:
- Neil Irwin: Washington Post, @Neil_Irwin
Main Topic
Immigration Reform: The Opening Moves ()
President Obama whipped up a crowd of supporters yesterday in Las Vegas, commending both Houses of Congress for taking up immigration reform. He laid down what he called "key markers" to guide immigration reform, adding that if Congress fails to move in "a timely fashion" he'll send up his own bill and demand immediate action. But today's bipartisanship may or may not produce tomorrow's compromise, and everybody agrees that the devil is in the details. If 11 million illegal residents get a "path to citizenship," how many hurdles should they have to jump? How long should it take? Will they have to wait until the border's secure? When will that be? We hear the pros and cons from a former head of the Immigration Service and others.
Guests:
- Julia Preston: New York Times, @JuliaPrestonNYT
- Doris Meissner: Migration Policy Institute, @MigrationPolicy
- Jeffrey Passel: Pew Hispanic Center, @PewHispanic
- Mark Krikorian: Center for Immigration Studies, @MarkSKrikorian
- Clarissa Martinez de Castro: National Council of La Raza, @NCLR
Links:
- Bipartisan Framework for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
- Marco Rubio (R-FL) on Obama's immigration speech
- Secure Fence Act of 2006
- Preston's analysis of Obama's immigration speech
- Meissner on immigration enforcement in the US
- Pew Hispanic Center on immigration – legal and illegal – in America
- Krikorian on whether there should be a path to citizenship
- National Council of La Raza on immigration reform
- Krikorian's 'How Obama Is Transforming America through Immigration'
Reporter's Notebook
Senate's First Hearing on Guns since Newton Draws Attention ()
Before it began to debate gun control this morning, a Senate committee heard from Gabrielle Giffords and her former astronaut husband, Mark Kelly. The former Congresswoman was a gun owner before she was gunned down in a mass shooting in Arizona. Later, the committee heard from Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association. Rebecca Kaplan, who reports for the National Journal on the White House and Congress, covered today's hearing.
Guests:
- Rebecca Kaplan: National Journal, @RebeccaRKaplan
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