Even as U.S. House Leaders indicate that illegal aliens are their No. 1 priority, I'm feeling moderately optimistic after our loss in a key House committee Thursday. Here's the good news:  Republicans (who until recently were somewhat evenly divided on immigration issues) are voting nearly unanimously with us over this summer. And more and more Democrats are splitting from their Party Leaders as constituents back home make it clear where they stand.

NEW INSIGHT INTO HOUSE LEADERS' PRIORITY FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS

I started the week with a blog about how last week's meeting between Speaker Pelosi and the Hispanic Caucus had brought press reports that confirm that the federal health proposal as currently written will ensure that 11-19 million illegal aliens will enjoy the full benefits offered to U.S. citizens.

But the events of the last two days have given us  new insight into just how important illegal aliens are to Speaker Pelosi and her Majority Leadership Team.

Democrats on the House Energy & Commerce Committee are under intense pressure to vote against any amendment offered by Republicans, no matter what their worth.  When the Republicans were in control of Congress, I saw this same kind of naked, destructive partisanship. I hate it whoever is doing it.

Now that the Democrats are in charge, one of the sacred cows in Congress is taxpayer-supported benefits for illegal aliens.  In one vote after another the last three years, Democratic leaders have twisted arms to ensure that benefits continue to flow to illegal aliens and to send the word to other countries that if you break our laws to come here and live here, the federal government will reward you.

But on Thursday, 5 Democrats on the committee were willing to vote with the Republicans to get us within one vote  of victory.  That is the best we've done under the Democrats.

That is good, but whenever any vote comes out with a one-vote margin, with the Majority Party winning, you can be pretty sure that the Majority Party's leadership was allowing their most politically vulnerable members to vote with the other Party and twisting arms on everybody else to ensure that the Majority Party's position prevails.

If one of the Democrats voting to reward illegal aliens yesterday is your own Representative, you know that he/she is more loyal to following orders from the Party chieftans than in taking his/her orders from the citizens of your District.  If you haven't already done so, please send faxes and make phone calls to express your disgust.

WHY NOT A DEMOCRATIC AMENDMENT TO BAR ILLEGAL ALIENS

You probably are thinking:  Why don't our Democratic allies get around the "no votes for Republican amendments" dictate by introducing the good amendment themselves?

There is some talk about just such an amendment.  If it is a good one that bars illegal aliens without loopholes, then Democrats could vote for it without violating any promises they made Pelosi to not vote for Republican proposals.

But our Capitol Hill Team is watching closely to read the language.  The Democratic Leadership has perfected great expertise in writing language that might look like it bars illegal aliens for various benefits but actually creates giant loopholes for illegal aliens. 

We'll keep you updated.

SOME REASONS FOR OPTIMISM?

As I said in the first paragraph, I do think the momentum is building to get illegal-alien coverage out of any federal health plan.

But with Nancy Pelosi and her team so incredibly committed to illegal aliens, it will take all the effort we have to defeat her.

Our Capitol Hill Team is convinced that the only reason we are getting so close on the votes is because of NumbersUSA's grassroots pressures.

Within two hours of the vote on Thursday, we were hearing from Democratic staffers whose Representative had voted against the ban and who were being inundated with phone calls as a result of our alerts and home page news.

Your actions make a difference.  Keep it up.

ROY BECK is Founder & CEO of NumbersUSA