“Blow past them, Democrats. Blow past them again.”
Democrats are on the verge of signing into law the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 package. Meanwhile, Republicans are giving new meaning to the term “opposition party.” Some key points:
- Democrats pass major legislation and move to pass popular legislation on multiple fronts. Republicans talk about Dr. Seuss and demonize immigrant children. Democrats are going big and Republicans are going small. Democrats are pushing COVID relief, economic recovery, democracy reform, policing reform and immigration reform. Republicans are stoking a culture war over Dr. Seuss books and fear-mongering over immigrants. Watching Fox News in the evening is a trip to an alternate universe, untethered to facts, reality, or the numerous real challenges facing America: in Foxlandia, COVID relief isn’t an issue, the borders are open (they are not), unaccompanied minors seeking safety from violence constitute a “crisis” (it’s not) and Dr. Seuss leads the news.
- Democrats stuck together to fend off tired GOP anti-immigrant attack amendments. In response to a COVID bill favored by three quarters of the American people, including most Republicans, GOP Senators, led by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Cancun) attacked with anti-immigrant amendments designed to stoke fear and split Democrats. To their credit, Democrats hung together and fended off these attacks.
- Democrats refuse to be slowed by Republicans deploying bad faith efforts designed to thwart and slow progress. The COVID package is instructive; bipartisanship is a worthy pursuit, but not at the expense of actual progress. On immigration, a few Republicans have expressed support for legalizing deeply-rooted, long-term immigrants and agricultural workers. But the vast majority of Republican members of Congress oppose and are trying to block popular proposals to put Dreamers, TPS/DED holders and farm workers on pathways to citizenship. So, they demonize immigrants as a menace, put lipstick on Trump’s immigration record of sadistic cruelty, and proclaim a “border crisis” designed to scuttle any legislative progress on citizenship. Democrats know the GOP’s divide-and-distract strategy. They are ignoring it and moving forward.
- On immigration, Democrats and the American people are ready for decisive action to put undocumented immigrants on a path to citizenship. For Americans, legalizing millions of deeply-rooted undocumented immigrants is supported by three quarters of the American people, including half of Republican voters. For the majority, this is a settled debate. Democrats are moving forward several pieces of important legislation to the House floor in mid-March to recognize undocumented immigrants as the Americans they already are. Once the House acts, the action will move to the Senate.
The following is a statement from Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America’s Voice:
Americans elected a Democratic President and a Democratic majority to do big things. Republicans? Well, Republicans are a post-policy party, obsessed with Dr. Seuss, Mr. Potato Head and white grievance politics.
Thankfully, Democrats get it. They recognize the responsibility of governance is on their shoulders. They understand that unity is key to passing big-ticket items. They want to change people’s lives.
On immigration, this means being clear-eyed about Republican strategy. They want to stoke fear, scuttle progress, and run on racism and xenophobia. Blow past them, Democrats. Blow past them again.
