Rep. Luis Gutierrez On House Immigration Bill And Steve King's Notorious Comments

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who for years has been a torch bearer for comprehensive immigration reform in Congress, says he is optimistic that this time his fellow lawmakers will pass an overhaul of the flawed system

The Illinois Democrat believes the momentum for a reform that both would tighten security and provide a path to legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants is too accelerated to slow down or altogether stop.

“The support for immigration reform is too broad,” Gutierrez said in an interview Friday with Fox News Latinos. “Karl Rove supports it, Democratic strategists support it, evangelical and South Baptists both have joined to support it, the AFL-CIO and Chamber of Commerce both support it, and Cesar Chavez’s son and growers have reached an agreement on it.”

Gutierrez is in New York this weekend to take part in congressional tour of historical sites and events that reflect U.S. immigrant history. He is a member of the bipartisan House “Group of Seven,” which has been drafting a comprehensive immigration reform bill. He and others who support most of the bill are working to win over the more conservative Republicans who object to a key part of it – the part that gives many undocumented immigrants a path to legal status.

Gutierrez concedes that neither of the two major parties is approaching the immigration reform challenge in an unblemished way.

“Democrats sometimes come to immigration from a premise that we’re the majority in the House, we’re not,” he said. “Republicans, when they come to immigration, fail to recognize that the country spoke on immigration reform and they want us to fix the problem.”

If both parties can extricate themselves from those stubborn positions, he said, “We could come to an agreement.”

Despite the deep divisions among Republicans in the House over how to deal with illegal immigration – do they provide a legal status to some, or seek to deport them all, somehow -- Gutierrez claims that he has enough Republicans to get 218 votes in the House for an immigration reform bill.

This weekend, the New York visiting delegation – which also includes more than 70 political, religious and business leaders from around the country – has plans to witness a naturalization ceremony, Ellis Island, Gracie Mansion, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the African Burial Ground National Monument and the National September 11 Memorial, among other places.

Besides Gutierrez, other lawmakers include Reps. Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Eric Cantor, (R-VA) and who is House Majority Leader, Charlie Rangel (D-NY) as well as former U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, who served under President George W. Bush.

“This trip will provide us with the opportunity to put politics aside and focus on the common link that we all share,” said Diaz-Balart in a statement . “Our country was built by -- and continues to prosper as -- a nation of immigrants.”

The trip is being organized by Faith & Politics Institute.

Many conservative Republicans say their constituents do not support providing undocumented immigrants a path to legal status, and they feel no political pressure, as a result, to support that.

“If they do that, the Republican Party will be a party of provinces and towns, but the Democrats will be the national party,” said Gutierrez. “Republicans will only be hurting themselves as a national party if they keep thinking that way.”

The immigration tour comes on the heels of a highly controversial comment by Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican, where said in a media interview that many undocumented youth are drug mules and should not get be able to legalize their status.

In an interview last week with the conservative news outlet Newsmax, King said that while some undocumented immigrants brought as minors may be exemplary members of U.S. society, more are drug mules who undermine the country.

“For everyone who’s a valedictorian, there’s another 100 out there that weigh 130 pounds and they’ve got calves the size of cantaloupes because they’re hauling 75 pounds of marijuana across the desert,” King said. “Those people would be legalized with the same act.”

The comment by King, known for his many inflammatory remarks about immigrants, drew a firestorm of criticism, including from leaders of the Republican Party. The party has made efforts to combat its image as hostile to immigrants and to Latinos in particular.

He said House members should go out of their way to keep King at bay when considering the immigration issue.

“Steve King’s comments were reprehensible,” Gutierrez said. “They’re stupid and ignorant.”

“Republicans are running away from Steve King,” he said. “They’re clearly hateful, bigoted statements that have no place in the body politic and in our conversation.”

The solution, Gutierrez said, is to sit someone like King “in a corner and the adults take over the conversation.”


Read more: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/pol...#ixzz2aRbEVzA9

This could be the kindling that immigration reform needs in the House and it's definitely going to be an election issue for other Republicans when they come looking at the immigrant vote - be it Latinos, Asians, or "other". Every Republican should be asked "Do you support King's view that we're drug smuggling dogs and have calves the size of cantaloupes? " "If not, then why have you not stood up to him and why haven't you influenced your party to pass immigration reform?".

If this cock sucker loses his seat in 2014 it'll be a clear example as to why you shouldn't target immigrants.. We only come here illegally because the legal immigration system is broken and needs to be fixed

So according to your wisdom, hes a cock sucker. And we only came here illegally because the legal immigration system is broken? Never mind that you were what... 1 year old when you got here and had no idea what was going on? Furthermore... our parents knew what they were doing and they went ahead and chose for us? How about you refrain from insulting a US senator and let him speak his mind which will ultimately be his doom.


READ EVERY SINGLE SENTENCE BEFORE YOU GO ON YOUR RAMBLING RESPONSE.

You clearly can't read, I didn't say "we only came here because..." I said we only came here illegally because the legal immigration is broken.

If you had to rely on winning the lottery to feed your family would you wait to hit the jackpot? I think not.

You don't see me asking the senator to refrain from insulting us, as a firm believer of two way roads, I think I'm free to return the favor to the gentleman from Iowa and to speak however I please.

You have a nice day me angry bafoon.

contrary to your believe that i get angry from something posted on a forum, you're clearly mistaken.. you on the other hand take the time to respond to something that's out of your control.

Yes, let him insult us all he wants, we're better than that. At least some of us are.

And also, a lottery analogy? come on dude, you're better than that. Even if CIR passes, there will still be illegal immigration because people think the same way "Hey man, i wait for visa, i die.. i must get job"

an eye for an eye, i'm sure that's gotten you far in life right?

Ajua cabron.

"The immigration tour comes on the heels of a highly controversial comment by Rep. Steve King, an Iowa Republican, where said in a media interview that many undocumented youth are drug mules and should not get be able to legalize their status."

He's not a senator.....

i'm glad you're paying attention, guy couldn't even see that.

Lately everyone is arguing about something on here, i wonder why? Freaking mexicans wey lol