GOP Ekes out Win on Library of Congress' Immigration Terms

By ANDREW TAYLOR, ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — May 17, 2016, 3:19 PM ET

Republicans on a powerful House panel Tuesday narrowly defended a tea party-fueled move to tell the Library of Congress how to label immigrants living in the country illegally.

The GOP move is designed to force the Library of Congress to retain the term "illegal alien" for cataloging and search purposes, reversing the library's plan to replace "illegal alien" with less prejudicial terms like "noncitizens" or "unauthorized immigration."

Appropriations Committee Democrats tried to defend the library's move, which came in response to a petition from the American Library Association, to change the immigration-related search terms. They lost by a 25-24 vote.

Conservatives were angered by the library's move and sought the provision, which was added to legislation funding House and Senate operations and congressional agencies like the library.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said the library should "continue with its process of choosing subject headings without political influence."

[font size=1]-snip-[/font]