Last week, President Obama declared he would “begin a new effort” to reform the nation’s immigration system on his own, without Congressional help.
Ahead of the president’s announcement, Speaker of the House John Boehner said that he would not bring an immigration bill before the House of Representatives this year, in effect admitting a complete abdication of his responsibility to govern, thus forcing President Obama to act on his own.
However, Obama used the occasion to ensure that his administration is doing everything possible to address the humanitarian crisis of unaccompanied migrant children at the southern border.
The truth is that if the Republican majority in the House would do its job and approve bills that would advance the progress of the country; the president would not have to sign so many executive orders.
Instead of wasting time suing the president over the alleged abuse of executive orders, something that is completely constitutional, John Boehner should focus on doing the right thing and allow a vote on immigration reform.
Furthermore, one must remember that many of the executive orders signed by the president are temporary solutions to the problems facing our country; one of them being reforming our immigration system.
Although the president is willing to act on his own, and will do so later this summer, Obama and Democrats understand that in order to permanently and meaningfully reform our immigration system, Congress must adopt an immigration bill.
After more than one year since the adoption of the Senate’s immigration bill, Republicans in the House of Representatives have kept their arms crossed, despite the many opportunities the president gave Republican leadership to avoid the need to act on his own.
As a result, the only way we will see a definitive reform of our immigration system is by electing candidates to Congress who are willing to take the necessary political risks, negotiate where you have to negotiate, and have the same values as our community. Now, more than ever, we have to get Latinos to vote in November.
With a president who continues to fight for the interests of the Latino community and all Americans, it is time that President Obama has at his disposal a Congress that is willing to work with him to advance the interests of the American people. It’s in our power to do it: For us, for our children, and the future of our country.
This piece originally appeared in Spanish in the Washington Hispanic
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