The House GOP is teeing up a vote on H.R. 2, a hate group-backed bill filled to the brim with anti-asylum and anti-immigrant proposals — and Texas Republican Monica De La Cruz stands to be a deciding vote in whether or not this odious and unworkable legislation advances.
De La Cruz’s Congressional biography describes her story as “one of perseverance, determination, and the power of faith. The granddaughter of a Mexican farmworker, Monica was raised by her single mother, Norma, in Brownsville.” In a tweet celebrating her win as the first Latina to represent her district, she wrote that “[o]nly in this great country can the granddaughter of a Mexican farm worker go from ironing shirts to get through college to become a member of Congress.” But supporting H.R. 2 could deny others their hope of also achieving the American Dream.
H.R. 2 is a nativist wish-list that offers no solutions to our nation’s broken immigration system, and instead proposes a slew of Trump-era proposals, including stripping unaccompanied minor children of critical protections. It’s unclear whether GOP leadership actually has the votes to pass this cruel agenda, but as part of their political theater, they’re staging a vote on May 11, the date that the Biden administration is scheduled to end Title 42.
This means all eyes are now on De La Cruz, who’s also among the Republicans that represent districts won by President Biden in the 2020 presidential election. If she’s truly solutions-focused, this bill isn’t it. Will she defend the American Dream – or continue to empower the rhetoric and legislation pushed by the most extreme members of her caucus?
