[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 9387-9388]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           IMMIGRATION REFORM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Amodei). The Chair recognizes the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, later today, the Judiciary Committee will 
mark up the first immigration reform bill offered by the Republicans in 
the 113th Congress. Since election day, no Member of Congress has done 
more to highlight and praise the Republicans for their new spirit of 
bipartisanship on immigration than I. I praise our committee and 
subcommittee chairmen for their new tone in the Republican-led 
immigration hearings.
  When the Republican Party chairman said Republicans have to stop 
pushing Latino voters away, I said, ``Right on, Reince.''
  When young Republicans warned the GOP to change its tune in order to 
remain viable, I said, ``I think you're right.''
  When your former candidate for Vice President and Budget Committee 
chairman came to Chicago to talk about immigration reform, I brought 
him to the barrio so that the Latino community could see him and 
applaud his commitment to immigration reform.
  Judge Carter, the gentleman from Texas, and I shared the stage in San 
Antonio to discuss immigration reform deep in the heart of Texas, where 
we agreed on more things than we disagreed. He and I have met almost 
every day since January with a small bipartisan group of colleagues to 
fashion a bill that both parties can embrace.
  And it's hard work for both parties.
  On the other side of the aisle, it is hard to talk about immigrants 
in a new way when your party, its platform, its candidates, its talk 
radio, and its TV personalities have spoken disparagingly about 
immigrants for years. When you reference gangbangers and drunk drivers 
and rapists every time you talk about immigrants, it is hard to switch 
gears quickly; but most Republicans in this body, up until last

[[Page 9388]]

week, were singing from a new and more harmonious hymnal.
  Bipartisan work on immigration reform has been difficult on my side 
of the aisle, too. I have always fought for universal health care 
coverage, but discussing health care coverage for undocumented 
immigrants and their families--even in the context of a legalization 
program where they pay their full taxes, submit fingerprints, and pay 
huge fines--is a nonstarter not only for Republicans but for Democrats, 
unfortunately, alike. I have advocated for LGBT rights from my days as 
a Chicago alderman, but to work in a bipartisan manner, it's off the 
table.
  To keep discussions going with Republicans, I am told that the 
Diversity Visa Program, which brings in immigrants from Africa and 
Ireland and around the world who diversify our immigrant pool, is 
eliminated--no discussion in the name of bipartisanship. Siblings--
brothers and sisters of U.S. citizens--will no longer be able to be 
sponsored by their family members to come to America, and the fees and 
fines we charge--billions upon billions--on immigrants so that they can 
be here legally, that will fund more drones, fences, border guards, and 
more enforcement on the border, a border that is as secure as I've seen 
in American history--but we'll do it.

                              {time}  1010

  I ask my Republican colleagues when is it enough?
  But I want to keep things moving forward, so I hold my tongue, work 
within the bipartisan process and stay with the group. I speak well of 
Republicans who have partnered with Democrats on a serious bipartisan 
bill this year.
  A tough, but fair bipartisan bill is moving towards passage, and our 
tough but fair bipartisan House bill is nearly complete. We're putting 
aside partisan bickering to solve a difficult policy issue for the 
American people.
  In this moment, just in time for the Fourth of July, we get red meat 
politics for the barbecue and partisan fireworks on immigration.
  The Arizona S.B. 1070 law was substantially struck down by the 
Supreme Court. No matter. Now your side of the aisle wants to 
nationalize it.
  Sheriff Joe Arpaio is slapped by the Federal courts for 
systematically denying the civil rights of U.S. citizens and legal 
immigrants. No matter. Let's canonize him.
  Police and local governments want immigrants in their communities to 
be able to call the police if they're a victim of crime or witnesses to 
crime. Too bad. Republicans in Washington know better than your cops, 
prosecutors and mayors at home. They will cut your Federal funding 
unless you commit to a full-frontal deportation and local immigration 
enforcement.
  When 500,000 Latino citizens turn 18 every year and become potential 
voters, Republicans seem hell-bent on lining up and jumping off the 
demographic cliff.
  While our country demands solutions and leadership, Republicans are 
feeding the partisan monster red meat as if their calendars already 
read 2014.
  As a Democrat, I could probably stand back and watch. If you want to 
hang yourself on the immigration issue, who am I to stop you? But as an 
American, I have to tell you what I really feel. Your country needs you 
to step away from the partisan red meat and fearmongering that has 
defined your party on immigration. Come back to your senses. Do not 
push forward a bill that criminalizes every immigrant family and makes 
everyone think twice before they call 911.
  You are better than this. America needs you to be.

                          ____________________