Speech #1130120168

Now. in terms of how do we move forward. how do we create a more perfect Union. and how do we act potentially in a bipartisan fashion. I think there are at least four areas where there should be opportunity to find common ground. I think we should be able to find common ground as it relates to immigration reform and dealing with our broken immigration system. We should be able to find common ground as it relates to giving America a raise. We should be able to find common ground as it relates to criminal justice reform. I have been encouraged as a member of the House Judiciary Committee bipartisan task force on overcriminalization by the willingness of Democrats and Republicans. conservatives and progressives. to try to work together to solve this issue of a broken criminal justice system that we have got in America. There are areas where we should be able to find some common ground. Let me start by dealing with this question of the executive order on immigration. because there is a lot of hysteria in this town now about how some people in the Congress are going to react to the President if he decides to issue some form of executive order on immigration. as if this President would be doing something extraordinary. The history. in fact. tells us that since President Eisenhower. every single occupant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has issued executive orders related to immigration. In fact. there have been 39 such orders from Eisenhower all the way through to President George W. Bush related to the topic and subject matter of immigration. In fact. if you look at some of the executive orders that were issued by President Ronald Reagan and President George H.W. Bush related to undocumented immigrants from Central America and the need in their view to try to keep families together. they were some of the broadest executive orders issued by any President in the area of immigration. Where was the impeachment talk back then? Why are we subjecting this President to such reckless conversations?