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Reps. Becerra and Gonzalez Blast Latest GOP Hearing on Immigration: “Scapegoating on Steroids”

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Representative Xavier Becerra and Charlie GonzalezAs the House Immigration Subcommittee begins its latest controversial hearing on immigration issues, the panel’s leadership is facing withering attacks from two Latino leaders in Congress.

Representative Xavier Becerra (CA-31), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus:

“We’ve all been waiting for more than two months for the now not-so-new Republican majority in the House to do something to compliment the job creation propelled by President Obama and Democrats over the past two years. It’s strange that Republicans chose the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement as the place to launch such an effort. Actually, it seems the principal purpose of the hearing is to deflect focus away from their job-destroying budget proposal (costing 700,000 jobs).

Blaming others, in this case legal immigrants, for your own failings doesn’t produce a single job. It’s also the oldest trick in the book, and the American people aren’t buying it.

After 10 weeks you would think that the House Republicans would have produced a plan to create jobs in America. Instead, this hearing amounts to scapegoating on steroids, pitting Americans of one background against Americans of another. It’s a plan that creates zero jobs, but a lot of excuses.”

 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairman Charles A. Gonzalez:

 “Another week, another misguided Immigration Subcommittee Hearing.  Last week the Republican Congressmen in charge of immigration policy – Representatives Lamar Smith, Elton Gallegly and Steve King – attempted to pit minority communities against each other by trying to manufacture a false sense of job competition among them.  This week, instead of assembling a panel of immigrant entrepreneurs to explore how they’ve managed to start businesses at twice the rate of native-born, like the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, they’re showing their true colors by going after foreign born citizens in a hearing that serves only to advance their anti-immigrant agenda.  Americans want jobs, not scapegoats.  In these times of economic hardship we would be better served by learning from the entrepreneurial spirit immigrants bring to this country rather than ignoring their contribution and vilifying them.”

Scapegoating is one constant theme coming from the Mass Deportation Caucus, led by Reps. Smith, Gallegly and King.