As we saw last week on the bipartisan budget and debt ceiling vote. sometimes Republican leaders take action for the good of the country. despite the calls from the donothing caucus. well. to do nothing. On all these matters. do nothingness comes with a cost. It is the cost of deported immigrants. and businesses that cannot hire people legally. of women who are denied lifesaving health screenings. honoring families as firstclass citizens no matter who heads them. a cleaner planet. and safer neighborhoods. There is a political cost as well. A colleague from South Carolina summed it up in the documentary "Immigration Battle" on PBS Frontline. which I also appeared in. Addressing a group of Republican voters in his district. Congressman MICK MULVANEY said. "At some point. we are going to have to figure out that if you take the entire African American community and write them off. take the entire Hispanic community and write them off. take the entire Libertarian community and write them off. take the entire gay community and write them off. what is left? About 38 percent of the country." The Congressman concludes by saying. "You cannot win with 38 percent of the country." You want to know something? He is right. We know from the environment. from the fight for marriage equality. the fight for civil rights. the fight to modernize our immigration system. that taking no action is precisely the problem. I think the new Speaker understands this. and someday I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle agree with him and let the majority rule in the peoples House.
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deported immigration Immigration immigrants