[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H3578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             BIPARTISANSHIP

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, bipartisanship is often applauded in 
Congress, but seldom rewarded. Let me repeat that. Bipartisanship is 
often applauded, but seldom rewarded, which is an important part of why 
we have been unable to pass any meaningful immigration reform in this 
body for years.
  I have worked with good men and women on the other side of the aisle 
on many occasions to advance immigration reform, but none of those 
efforts forced the Speaker of the House, whoever he or she was at the 
time, to allow a vote, except for the time the House passed the DREAM 
Act in 2010.
  I continue to work with partners on the other side, because I know if 
a vote is allowed, those who see immigrants and immigration as 
important assets to this country will prevail. It will take Democrats 
and Republicans working together to enact commonsense immigration 
reform.
  Just this week, the gentleman from Colorado, Republican  Mike 
Coffman, and I worked together to demand statistics from the Department 
of Homeland Security to determine if the Trump administration is 
complying with Federal court orders on the renewal of DACA 
applications, and to get more information on the DACA processing 
backlogs.
  Working with Republicans doesn't win me many friends among Democrats, 
who spend their days trying to defeat people like Mr. Coffman. They 
would probably prefer I stop working with him. As I said, 
bipartisanship is often praised, but seldom rewarded.
  Secondly, bipartisanship is more than just signing your name.
  Jeff Denham of California and some other Republicans are promoting an 
idea that has a great deal of merit: the so-called ``Queen of the 
Hill'' rule, which has almost 50 Republican cosponsors and all the 
Democrats, myself included.
  This rule calls for a debate and votes in the House on a series of 
immigration reform bills, some of which would address the vulnerability 
of Dreamers and their families to deportation. It is an unprecedented 
bipartisan action to demand an immigration vote, and I support it 
wholeheartedly. But so far, all the Republicans have had to do is sign 
their names as cosponsors. The next step should be that we demand that 
Speaker Ryan bring the rule and related bills to the floor for a vote 
through a discharge petition.
  You see, working with people from the other side of the aisle is just 
one aspect of bipartisanship. When the rubber meets the road is when 
you take on the leaders of your own party in order to achieve a 
bipartisan goal.
  When I got arrested protesting President Obama's treatment of 
Dreamers and migrants, I didn't win any popularity contest with the 
Democratic Caucus. My colleagues were quick to defend the President and 
the Democratic Speaker at the time. I was shunned and passed over many 
times by my own team.
  Later, when I and other Democrats worked with Judge Carter, Sam 
Johnson, and Raul Labrador to find bipartisan immigration solutions in 
the 113th Congress, Members of my own party told me to stay away. Right 
here on this floor they told me: ``Don't help Republicans solve their 
immigration problem.''
  But I didn't stay away. I kept working with the Republicans, until 
they walked away. They were unwilling to take on their own party in the 
end. Speaker Boehner backed away when the chips were down.
  Speaker Ryan came to my district in Chicago and talked about moving 
forward on immigration, with me standing by his side. We are still 
waiting for him to put skin in the game. That is what it will take: 
taking a courageous position, even in the face of opposition from your 
own party.

  So the 48 Republicans who joined Mr. Denham's ``Queen of the Hill'' 
rule calling for immigration votes should not declare mission 
accomplished just yet. Your country needs you right now, today. We need 
your courage, in addition to your signature. Sign a discharge petition 
to bring about the vote on immigration solutions for Dreamers. That 
puts your skin in the game. You may not get invited to the next state 
dinner or fly on Air Force One, but you will have done a service to 
your Nation.
  A discharge petition on the Denham bill says you are willing to 
expend your personal reputation and political capital to do what is 
right and what is necessary in a time of great hatred and divisiveness 
at the highest levels over immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
  Will you be praised for your bipartisan courage? I hope so.
  Will you be rewarded by other politicians or activists in your own 
party, or voters in mine? Probably not.
  Which is exactly my point. It is hard, it is thankless, but your 
country needs help that only Republicans in Congress can provide: put 
pressure on your own Republican leadership. I, and a lot of my 
colleagues, will work with you, stand by you, support you, but we need 
you to lead the way.

                          ____________________