In a battle of Washington heavyweights, tax reformer Grover Norquist will debate border enforcer Dan Stein on immigration policy this week.
From a libertarian-business perspective, Norquist, founder of Americans for Tax Reform, supports amnesty for illegal immigrants and an increased flow of foreign nationals, arguing they will stimulate the U.S. economy.
Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), counters that “flooding the labor market with millions of low-skilled, government-dependent workers is the antithesis of economic growth and a recipe for the erosion of the middle class.”
The two will square off in their first-ever, one-on-one debate Thursday. Stephen Dinan, immigration reporter for the Washington Times, will moderate the event for press and Capitol Hill staffers.
Norquist, famous for pushing political candidates to sign campaign pledges against raising taxes, has said it’s “good politics … to have more immigrants in the United States — dramatically more immigrants than we do today.” Representing national organizations with diametrically opposed approaches to immigration, Norquist and Stein embody what may be the biggest internal conflict in the conservative movement today.
Stein advocates limits on immigration and opposes amnesty efforts, arguing that doing so will protect American jobs, maintain wages and reduce taxpayer burdens.
Read more by Kenric Ward at Watchdog.com.