Pelosi Statement on President Obama’s Remarks on Immigration Reform

Contact: Drew Hammill, 202-226-7616

San Francisco – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement after President Obama announced that Speaker Boehner will refuse to allow a vote on comprehensive immigration reform and that he will use his executive authority to strengthen the border and fix as much of our broken immigration system as possible:

"One year ago, on June 27, the Senate passed bipartisan legislation to secure our borders, create jobs, reduce the deficit, and create an earned pathway to citizenship. Speaker Boehner's failure to allow an up-or-down vote on comprehensive immigration reform is an irresponsible abdication of his responsibility to the American people.

"Speaker Boehner and House Republicans have chosen to take us backward by embracing the most extreme and anti-immigrant elements in their party over families, law enforcement, business groups, labor organizations and faith leaders pleading for reform. Republicans have done everything they can to cause confusion and divert attention from their obstruction and dysfunction.

"While legislation is the surest way to affect the change we need, we cannot continue with such an obviously broken immigration system. Our broken immigration system tears apart families, diminishes our global competitiveness, and denies our history and our heritage as, by and large, a nation of immigrants. House Democrats stand shoulder to shoulder with the President and the bipartisan coalition in the Senate to restore sense to our immigration system, and we will never give up our push for comprehensive immigration reform legislation."

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