On Tuesday the 10th December, a coalition of Latino groups that work on issues such as education and legislative policy, voter registration and immigration reform issued a report card that actually graded both chambers of Congress in regards to their performance on issues relating to immigration this year.
The Senate was given a passing grade, receiving a green check mark thanks to its passing of the comprehensive immigration reform bill during the summer. However, the House of Representatives received an “I” for incomplete due to its failure to follow up on the success achieved by the Senate. The issuing of the report cards is the Latino groups’ way of making members of Congress aware that their votes on immigration issues are being graded in much the same way that they are graded on gun issues by the National Rifle Association, a tactic that has proven very successful for them.
The Latino coalition is also using another tactic used by a right wing group that has long held sway over Congress, that of the Americans for Tax Reform organization. That group’s founder, Grover Nordquist, became famous when he managed to persuade hundreds of lawmakers from all over the United States to put their signatures to a pledge declaring that they would never again vote to raise taxes. Similar pledge cards are now being passed out by Latino groups in regards to immigration reform.
The groups, which include the National Council of La Raza and Voto Latino, among others, hope that banding together will help to put pressure on Congress in order to bring about change more quickly and efficiently.