In her weekly column, Maribel Hastings, from America’s Voice, argues that if the House of Representatives approved Steve King’s amendment to defund DACA, their best way to apologize for King’s anti-immigrant comments would be to allow a vote for immigration reform with a path to citizenship. Here’s her column, translated from Spanish:
Is House Speaker Boehner’s condemnation of Rep. Steve King’s (R-IA) anti-immigrant and offensive comments enough?
Publicly condemning King’s remarks is the least the GOP leadership could do, especially at a time when the future of immigration reform is at stake and when a sector of the Republican Party is trying to fix the Party’s relationship with Latino voters – who they need in order to win back the White House. King compared DREAMers with drug dealers.
However, there are other ways to offend people that don’t involve words but actions.
For example, this past June 6th, Republicans supported Rep. King’s amendment to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) appropriations which eliminates the funds for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program which gives DREAMers relief from deportation – the same DREAMers that Rep. King also insulted with words, not just public policy. A total of 221 of the 234 Republicans in the House of Representatives supported King’s amendment. Only six Republicans opposed it.
Boehner said last week that King’s comments “don’t reflect the values of the American people or of the Republican Party”. Then, what type of values does King’s amendment against DACA and the fact that the Republican Caucus supported it reflects?
Boehner and other GOP leaders’ condemnation isn’t enough, it has to be accompanied by action. If they gave King’s anti-DACA amendment a vote then, why not give immigration reform with a path to citizenship a vote? That would be the best Republican apology to King’s comments.
