Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California, and I rise today to oppose President Trump's anti-immigrant executive orders and to share with you why I feel these orders harm the people across my district and, ultimately, across our Nation.

I am here because my grandfather came here as an Italian immigrant back in 1921. He told us that the reason he came here was to give his children a better life, and he wanted a chance to achieve what I think we all know to be the American Dream.

I am here in front of you living the reality of that dream. And that is why I strive every day as best as I can to give back to my country and community here in Washington, D.C., and especially on the central coast of California.

I do that not only because of my grandfather, but because it was our forefathers that made it clear that this is a nation, this is a country based on ``We the People.'' And so to me, being in this country, being American, means that all of us bear the burden to serve one another and to welcome those--especially those--who are willing to come here and share in that responsibility. I believe that we should embrace them. I believe that we should embolden them with the opportunities to share in that American Dream.

We know that the world looks to the United States for enlightened leadership, but these ill-advised actions send a wrong message about our values as a nation. We are a nation of immigrants. We are stronger because of our diversity and because of the people who have taken the risks to come here just as my grandfather did, to live here and to contribute to our country and our communities.

On the central coast of California, that is the heart and soul of that area. I see hardworking men and women who have come to this country to live in it and contribute to it. The two main industries there on the central coast are agriculture and tourism--big industries.

There are people, workers, owners who contribute greatly not only to those industries, but to our communities, and they are our neighbors, our friends, our families, our children. They sit next to my two daughters and play with them at school. Clearly, without them, my community would be a shell of its former self.

I hear the pain in their voices because they feel that this administration's executive order targets them and makes them feel unwelcome. I see that these types of executive orders drive a wedge in our country, and it drives them further away from participating in our community.

Before I was sworn in on January 3 of this year, I was a prosecutor; and for the 5\1/2\ years that I was there at the Monterey County District Attorney's Office, I prosecuted gang crimes. That kind of prosecution, as you can imagine, as you know well, it can be very difficult to have witnesses come forward and participate in one of the cornerstones of our country: our criminal justice system. They are intimidated. They are worried about retribution and retaliation.

Yet now, from what I have heard, they are worried not just about criminals; they are worried about the government, the government cracking down on them if they came forward, cracking down on them and sending them back to where they came from. These executive orders discourage participation in our community. Instead, as a nation, we should encourage people to step up, to step forward, and to be a part of our criminal justice system.

Last weekend, I met with community members and I heard directly from them about their concerns, and this weekend, I am doing it again. I am holding a townhall to continue this conversation.

I believe it is our responsibility to listen to all of our community members and consider the implications of these types of executive orders and the implications that they have on all of our constituents.

When the President of the United States was sworn in, he took an oath to protect all members of our Nation by supporting and defending our Constitution. As a Member of Congress, I took an oath to support and defend that very same Constitution. Rest assured, I will honor that oath, and I will honor the oath to my grandfather and to this country by fighting and resisting unconstitutional orders from this or any other President.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out against President Trump's Muslim ban, an executive order that emboldens our enemies, undermines our alliances, and offends our American values. This ban has, among other things, blocked visas for interpreters from the Middle East, people who risk their lives to save American lives.

When I was deployed to Afghanistan as an intelligence officer, I worked with many interpreters; and at first, I realized they not only provided accurate information, they kept us safe. As time went along and I got to know them, what I came to realize is that they were the ones who were unsafe. They were the ones who were risking their lives to save our lives.

When I got to know them, I would ask them: Why are you taking this risk? Why are you doing this? And the reason they gave me was similar to the one my grandfather gave me, my Italian immigrant grandfather, as to why he came here to America back in 1921, and that is they came here to give their children a better life.

Mr. Speaker, to me, that is the definition of the American Dream. President Trump's executive order not only makes us unsafe, it is against our fundamental values. If people are willing to take risks to live the American Dream, we don't stop them; we welcome them. That is why my family is here. That is why I am here.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 7, a bill which brings permanency to the Hyde amendment, a bill which attempts to take away low-income women's reproductive rights. Therefore, I submit to you that it is a bill more about divisive politics than decent policy.

This past Saturday, I joined hundreds of my constituents on The National Mall. We demonstrated our support for reproductive rights and for women's health care across our Nation.

In my district, on the central coast of California, we have an organization that administers those types of essential services. Mar Monte Planned Parenthood provides over 60,000 preventive, reproductive, and wellness healthcare visits each year, and for some that is the only health care they can get or they can afford.

Madam Speaker, the Hyde amendment isn't going anywhere, whether we like it or not. So I submit to you that it is these types of bills that do nothing to bring Congress together and everything to drive us apart because it is bills like H.R. 7 that can harm the most vulnerable in my community and across our Nation. That is why I respectfully ask my colleagues to oppose H.R. 7.