Lawmaker Repudiated After Trying To Insert Anti-Immigrant Amendment Into Abused Kids' Bill

AUSTIN, TX — It's become fashionable to demonize immigrants in some political circles given Donald Trump's aim in cracking down on illegal immigration and attempts to ban Muslims, and the tactic is often met with constituent approval.

But when Rep. Mark Keough, a Republican from The Woodlands, tried the ploy in the Texas Legislature on Wednesday, it didn't go to well. It was, as they say, a tough room.

The hoopla occurred while members of the Legislature were considering a dozen amendments to House Bill 4, which would increase support payments to relatives taking in abused or neglected children, as the Texas Observer reported. Keough pounced on the opportunity to introduce an amendment that would have prevented designated caregivers of an abused child from receiving support for raising the child if the caregiver were an undocumented immigrant.

Related story: Amid Passion-Filled Immigration Debate, Migrants Cast As Villains In Texas Political Narrative

Both Republicans and Democrats — who have been uncharacteristically united in reforming Child Protective Services — quickly rejected Kough's amendment, with some legislators labeling it as "racist," detrimental to abuse children and even "un-Christian," according to the Texas Observer.

Keough, who is a Christian pastor at The Woodlands Bible Church (he's claimed his election to the House was by "divine appointment") immediately countered the charges of racism: “I’m not a racist, I love people, I love the people of my church and I love all of you,” Keough said.

Condemnation of Keough's measure, as mentioned, was swift. And it cut across party lines, garnering push-back from Democrats and Republicans alike joined in united purpose to reform the beleaguered child protective services agency. Among some of the comments made, as the Observer noted:

• State Rep. Byron Cook, a Republican from Corsicana: “I am pretty heartbroken to be part of this today,” said Representative Byron Cook, R-Corsicana. “We came here to take care of children. I feel like crying. I really do.”
• Rep. Rafael Anchia, a Democrat from Dallas: “I know what you guys campaign on. This feels like really racist, anti-Hispanic stuff.”

In a subsequent email to Patch, State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, a Democrat from Austin, said the work group was blindsided by Keough's proposal. The pastor's measure was made all the more offensive given the hundreds of abused children who die every year in Texas.

"Preventing these deaths and the suffering of thousands of other Texas children is not and should not be a partisan matter," Rodriguez said in a prepared statement. He added that months of collaborative, bipartisan work went into efforts to reform CPS/Foster Care.

"That's why I was both shocked and sorely disappointed by State Representative Keough's filing of a toxic, political amendment to HB 4 without ever having expressed his intention to do so in committee or to the bipartisan workgroup, of which he is a member," Rodriguez said.

Rep. Richard Peña Raymond, chair of the House CPS work group and a Democrat from Laredo, said he was not consulted about Keough's anti-immigrant measure beforehand, the Observer reported. Debates on amendments typically are done “away from the mic” before measures are filed, he told the Observer.

After receiving zero support from his fellow House Republicans, Keough's amendment was ultimately withdrawn. Keogh represents District 15 in suburban Montgomery County north of Houston.

>>> Read the full story at Texas Observer

Image above via Shutterstock, photo of Rep. Mark Keough via Texas House of Representatives