Tackling immigration

The Bush administration has been cracking down on illegal immigrants. So much so that the immigration courts and deportation centers are overcrowded. To relieve some of the pressure the Department of Homeland Security has created Operation Scheduled Departure. The program is in response to Congress’ failure to deal with immigration. The program gives illegal immigrants that have ignored their final deportation notice a chance to voluntarily turn themselves over to authorities. I return they will be given 90 days to get their affairs in order before being returned to their country of origin. The new program is being piloted in Phoenix; Santa Ana, CA, San Diego, Chicago, and Charlotte from August 5 – 22. Depending on the response the program may be expanded to other cities.

In other news…
The Bush administration is trying to expand the definition of abortion to include birth control pills and intrauterine devices (IUDs). It is being said that the rationale is to support those health workers that don’t want to offer birth control bills or IUD’s for moral reasons. If this gets traction expect a heated debate on this issue.

Wal-Mart is mobilizing staff and telling them that if Democrats win the White House in November, they will likely change federal law to make it easier to unionize companies. Three reasons to oppose unionization are that employees will have to pay hefty dues while getting nothing in return, employees may have to go on strike without compensation, and unionization could mean fewer jobs as labor costs rise. By holding meetings with staff Wal-Mart is indirectly telling their staff how to vote in November.

This legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Obama who says if elected he will sign the bill into law, is called the Employee Free Choice Act (also know as card check). The US Chamber of congress has made defeating this bill a top priority while the AFL-CIO has made passing the bill a top priority. The legislation allows unions to form if 50 percent of employees sign a card saying they want to join a union.

The Higher Education Act looks like it is getting closer to being renewed. It is expected to pass the Senate and be signed by the President. The bill offers greater transparency of college costs. The Department of Education would list the most expensive colleges on their web site as well as the colleges that raised their tuition the most. The law puts pressure on states to maintain their level of higher education spending or face losing certain federal funds. It also expands access to Pell grants, going form two semesters to year round. The legislation also includes consumer protection on everything from textbook sales to private student loans. The Higher Education Act hasn’t been renewed since 2003.