Reid's Cynical Immigration Reform Push

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s nakedly political decision to push immigration reform while shelving the Graham-Kerry climate change bill may bolster his reelection bid but at the cost of passing future bipartisan legislation.

After months of effort, Senators Graham, Kerry and Lieberman were set to launch their bipartisan energy and climate bill Monday, when Hurricane Harry blew in and blasted the legislation right off the runway.

Majority Leader Reid’s sudden suggestion that the Senate take up immigration reform next and delay energy legislation, prompted Graham to threaten to abandon his backing for the bipartisan climate bill. Graham has good reason to be miffed on several fronts.

First, Reid is jeopardizing the best chance to address critical energy issues for the foreseeable future. The U.S. is already behind other countries in the race to develop low-carbon energy technologies. Reid’s gambit increases the likelihood that energy investments which could create new American jobs will stay locked up while China sprints ahead.

Second, after warning Graham, Kerry and Lieberman for months to get their bill done by the end of April to ensure time for floor action, how can Reid now claim that there is time to pass a yet-to-be-drafted immigration bill? Adding insult to injury, Reid dropped his immigration bombshell on the eve of the energy bill’s unveiling, showing total disregard for the months of work by his fellow senators.

Finally, since no immigration bill has even been crafted, the only explanation for Reid’s erratic move must be midterm politics. Reid faces a tough re-election effort and must figure his odds for winning improve if he can energize Nevada’s sizable Hispanic population by promising immigration reform.

Graham also happens to be the primary Republican seeking a bipartisan path forward on immigration. He and Senator Chuck Schumer were hoping to craft thoughtful immigration reform for next year. Reid’s sudden plan to take up immigration this year would short-circuit the deliberative effort required to write a workable immigration bill and replace it with something hastier, more politically charged, and far more likely to fail.

Now, Reid and the White House are trying to claim that Graham is seeking to back out of the energy and climate effort because Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is leaning on Graham. But does anyone truly believe that Graham agreed to abandon a bill he spent six months (and immeasurable political capital) supporting at McConnell’s urging?

At a Republicans for Environmental Protection dinner in Washington last week, Graham cautioned that partisanship on Capitol Hill threatens our ability to solve real problems. It certainly does—as Senator Reid has just illustrated so vividly.