Washington, DC — The following is a statement from Vanessa Cárdenas, Executive Director of America’s Voice, reacting to news that Senate Republicans are blocking their own immigration legislation:
“What’s on display from Republicans on Capitol Hill is as pathetic as it is cynical. Republicans are not interested in doing the hard work of governing or in taking action on matters that Americans care about.
Even after Democrats bent over backward to give in to Republican policy demands, the GOP is continuing its decades-long pattern of moving the goalposts, demanding the impossible, and bending the truth only to walk away from any form of immigration or border reform.
Senate Republicans seem indistinguishable from their House GOP counterparts in their fealty to Donald Trump. The upper chamber has lowered its standards.
For its part, the House will move forward with another sham proceeding where they will ‘get tough’ by taking up the impeachment of DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, calling him a ‘reptile’ and pledging to ‘deport’ the Jewish Cuban-American refugee from his job.
What an abdication of responsibility and shameful disrespect for the American people and the offices they hold.”
For Democrats moving forward, they should revisit what real solutions and immigration reform really looks like and what the American people support. In contrast to this legislation and Republican preference for perpetual chaos, they should lean into a balanced approach to legal immigration, border management, national security and legal status for people living and working here that in the process advances both our values and interests and aligns Democrats with the American people.”
