So much failing: Trump tanks immigration reform as GOP impeachment bid fizzles | Ashe

Former president Donald Trump’s opposition to any solution for illegal immigration allows the crisis to continue unabated.

Following Trump’s lead, Republicans in Congress blocked a bipartisan compromise pushed by senior Republican and Democratic senators that would have included aid to Ukraine with measures to clamp down on migration across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Trump could have endorsed the bipartisan compromise and claimed credit for its passage. I guess that is too logical to expect from him. Instead, Trump urged House Republicans, in particular, to reject the plan described by many Republicans as everything they could possibly hope to get even if they controlled all of Congress and the White House.

Our own congressman, Rep. Tim Burchett, continues to offer no solutions to this issue.

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s staff in an email to me said, “We fully support the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russia. Vladimir Putin is a sick and evil human and must be held accountable.” It will be instructive to see how Blackburn votes on aid to Ukraine when it comes up again in a separate package.

Meanwhile, House Republicans, led by Tennessee Rep. Mark Green, failed by one vote in their attempt to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administration’s handling of the border. Three Republican members voted against impeachment.

First it was a tie vote (which means it fails); then, one Republican voted “no” as a procedural matter to possibly bring the issue back. Final vote was 214-216.

The whole world got to watch the House GOP fail at one of its cherished goals. Why they spend time on this matter escapes me when the Democratic-controlled Senate will never vote to remove Mayorkas.

If the White House goes Republican, Mayorkas will depart Jan. 20, 2025. If he were removed, why would they think the next Biden appointment would be an improvement?

Whoever counts votes for the House GOP missed this time. Why not censure Mayorkas if public disapproval is the motive?

Garrett Holt, GOP candidate for County Commission opposed by Liz Tombras, has generated questions as to why he would donate to both Daniel Herrera and David Buuck, GOP opponents for county law director on March 5. He gave Buuck $100 and Herrera $108. I can find no rational answer for this beyond Holt being naive. Holt said he admires people who run for local office, which is nice, but he is not giving to other local GOP candidates.

Holt’s opponent, Tombras, is benefiting from a $1,500 donation from the West Knox Republican Club. Normally in contested GOP primaries, such clubs remain neutral. The president of this club is Gary Loe, who has lost both an election to Gloria Johnson for the legislature and more recently for a leadership post within the county GOP. It is inappropriate for a club of either party to take sides in a party primary.

Former state senator Bill Owen, 76, was elected to his seventh four-year term on the Democratic National Committee by the Tennessee Democratic Party’s executive committee on Jan. 27 in Nashville. First elected in 2000, Owen is now the longest-serving member of the DNC from Tennessee. Sylvia Woods of Knoxville is the longest-serving on the state executive committee, having served since 1986.

Jack Vaughan, Mark Siegel and City Councilwoman Debbie Helsley are seeking to be delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this year.

Democrat Bryan Goldberg will kick off his campaign for District 18 state representative against incumbent Elaine Davis, 5-7 p.m. Feb. 21 at the Crafty Bastard Brewery-West. The public is invited. He has more than 40 people on his host committee, including City Councilman Andrew Roberto and Knox County Schools board member Katherine Bike, as well as Marsha Grieve, Dennis Owen, Allison Page, Cliff Rodgers and John Ulmer.

The South Knoxville Neighborhood and Business Coalition hosts a meet and greet at 6 p.m. Feb. 19 at South High Senior Living, 835 Tipton Ave. 

Birthdays

Feb. 15: Matthew Cunningham is 43. Christine Pienkowski is 68.

Feb. 16: Will Puckett is 29. Kalyn Bradford is 36. Brooke Cunningham is 43. Katy Harp is 52. Former City Council member Chris Woodhull is 65.

Feb. 17: Allison M. Comer is 35. Jennifer Dedman is 51. Keith Ottaviano is 51. Michelle Hardin is 60. Sharon Bosse is 64. Alice Allen is 66. Joe Carson is 70.

Feb. 18: Michael Madigan is 44. Holly Zachary is 47. Anne Thomas-Abbott is 57. Attorney Jim Parris is 66. Michael McGovern is 69. Phyllis Severance, former assistant to Gov. Lamar Alexander, is 85. Randy Ayres is 86.

Feb. 19: Trevor Bayne is 33. Betsy Henderson is 45. Matthew Gallaher is 47. Prince Andrew is 64. Former GOP county chair and attorney Billy Stokes is 72. Retired businessman Thomas Ayres is 90.

Feb. 20: Becky Wade is 72. Jamie Ayres is 75. Sen. Mitch McConnell is 82.

Feb. 21: Erin B. Freeman is 44. Donald A. Moul is 59. Alan Lowe is 60. The Rev. Jerry Askew is 70. Bart Carey is 70. Sandy McNabb is 86.

Victor Ashe is a former Knoxville mayor and former ambassador to Poland. He is a columnist for Shopper News. 

Knox News and Shopper News promptly correct all errors. If you think we have published incorrect information, please email accuracy@knoxnews.com. Describe the error, where you saw it, the date, page number or the URL.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Trump tanks immigration reform as GOP impeachment bid fizzles | Ashe