Gabe Vasquez: “(English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:) Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud product of…”

“(English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:) Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud product of the Borderlands. I grew up on both sides of the border, my parents worked for the maquiladoras, and I still cross the border when I am back in my district because Las Cruces benefits from an interconnected community with El Paso and Juarez. For years, I have seen the challenges that we face at the border with the humanitarian crisis and the influx of drugs. We are at a point where we need more resources to address these crises. We need bipartisan solutions to address these issues, so I introduced a package of legislation that addresses security at our border and immigration reform. I am proud to share that my bills have been informed by the people of New Mexico, for the people of New Mexico. We have waited for too long to address this issue, and we need to put partisan politics aside to deliver for all of our constituents. Estoy aqui con todos ustedes hoy como un producto orgulloso de la frontera. Creci en ambos lados de los Estados Unidos y Mexico, mis padres trabajaron para las maquiladoras y todavia cruzo la frontera cuando regreso a mi distrito porque Las Cruces es una comunidad interconectada con El Paso y Cd. Juarez. Durante los anos he visto los retos que enfrentamos en la frontera con una crisis humanitaria y el flujo de drogas a nuestro pais. Estamos en un punto importante en que necesitamos mas recursos para abordar estas crisis.…”