California Voters Express Outrage at Reps Ruiz, Costa, McNerney, Bera, Thompson, Huffman and Garamendi for Supporting Budget Deal That Failed to Protect Dreamers
Statement from Eddie Kurtz, executive director of the California-based Courage Campaign, on California Democrats Rep. Raul Ruiz, Rep. Salud Carbajal, Rep. Jim Costa, Rep. Jerry McNerney, Rep. Ami Bera, Rep. Mike Thompson, Rep. Jared Huffman, & Rep. John Garamendi voting for a long-term budget resolution that failed to include protections for DACA recipients:
“California Democrats had an obligation to live up to our state’s values and oppose any long-term spending bill that did not include a fix for DACA. Rep. Raul Ruiz, Rep. Salud Carbajal, Rep. Jim Costa, Rep. Jerry McNerney, Rep. Ami Bera, Rep. Mike Thompson, Rep. Jared Huffman, and Rep. John Garamendi have betrayed those values.
“By voting for this budget, these Democrats have now given the deportation of thousands of their own constituents the green-light. Together, they have not only failed to resist President Trump’s hateful, racist and xenophobic agenda, but have in effect endorsed it. This is shameful and unacceptable.
“Making sure that immigrants who grew up in our communities aren’t ripped away from their families, friends and all they’ve ever known isn’t controversial. The overwhelming majority of the American people—79 percent, to be exact—including Republicans, support protecting Dreamers. These core values of inclusion and fairness must be upheld as Californians and Americans. It is deeply disappointing to see that not all California Democrats chose to stand up for those values, and we will not forget this betrayal.”
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