Congressman Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill) is at the forefront of the immigration debate. He has been harshly critical of the President for his handling of the situation in Arizona, and for his failure to meaningfully address comprehensive immigration reform eighteen months into his presidency. He has also put his money where his mouth is, getting arrested in front of the White House while peacefully protesting the Arizona immigration law.
The Congressman appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press last Sunday, and as always he provided clear insight into the immigration reform issue, rationally evaluating the problem. In doing so he assessed President Obama’s political will as it relates to immigration reform as follows:
"I don’t think [President Obama] is there yet, and I think that the President has to understand that simple political soundbites is not what the American public want. They want practical solutions. He knows what the solution is to this issue. He needs to demonstrate the political will and the political courage to take it on."
Plain and simply we need more people in Washington like Congressman Gutierrez.