Xavier Becerra

I am optimistic that we can get to a bipartisan solution on a comprehensive fix to our broken immigration system that includes a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented individuals within our borders.

We are a Nation of laws and a Nation of immigrants.

Building a smarter, more accountable and efficient system is imperative.

the one issue that must be on the table is that this House would move forward on comprehensive immigration reform

We have seen the ways in which inflexibility in lawmaking can lead to perverse incentives and unwanted or hazardous results.

I think we want to make sure that what we are doing is being smart, we are being transparent.

What we need is better, smarter, and more effective border enforcement, combined with broad, broader immigration law reforms.

Metrics can and should be instructive; however, it is unclear whether they are dispositive.

I was pleased to see balanced reforms relating to permanent and temporary visa programs, family-based and employment-based immigration.

If we get this done this year, it won't just be for the good of our National security.

The American people overwhelmingly support the creation of a functioning immigration system that reflects our American values of fairness.

Simply fixing one aspect of our immigration system ensures that we will fall short of making our country stronger economically and safer from external threats.

I look forward to working with all of my colleagues on trying to get to yes in doing a comprehensive fix on our broken immigration system.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, and to Chairman McCaul as well and to Ranking Member Jackson Lee.

To punish them from adjusting their status based on bureaucratic malfunctions or short-comings over which they had no control--even when they have met their personal responsibilities--is not consistent with our values of justice and fair…

My vote on any trade deal will now hinge on enforcement, because I find that a trade deal is a hollow agreement if our trading partner doesn't or won't play by the rules.

``The Least Productive Congress Ever,'' that's the title of an article in today's Washington Post. Here is how the article begins: Congress, in case you have been living on another planet for the last few years, doesn't do all that much…

I think we have to, as I just said, descend on those folks that are giving a bad rap to an essential program that people paid for.

Now, Dr. Weaver and Mr. Williams, my biggest concern is that we keep cutting the budget of the Social Security Administration at a time that we are talking about investing more to keep people at work to make sure that we intervene early…

I think, bipartisanly, when we find these bad apples... we want to slice and dice those bad apples so that they are ground to a pulp.

If we know someone who is abusing of the system and playing golf, we are Members of Congress, we are sworn to uphold the laws of the land. Why aren't we reporting those folks ourselves?

I would like to engage the gentleman from California in a colloquy, if I may. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Washington controls the time.

I would like to engage in a colloquy with the gentleman from California (Mr. Denham), and what I'd like to ask is, in conversations that have taken place between Members on this particular amendment, there is obviously quite a bit of…

I thank the gentleman for yielding. And I appreciate the gentleman from California being willing to withdraw the amendment, and certainly appreciate the work of the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Mr. Goodlatte, in proposing that we…

I was unavoidably detained and missed rollcall votes 207, 208, 209, 210 and 211. If present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall 207, ``no'' on rollcall 208, ``no'' on rollcall 209, ``yea'' on rollcall 210, and ``no'' on rollcall 211…