Gabe Vasquez: “Part of the reason why folks look to the United States as a beacon of democracy and justice is because we honor…”

“Part of the reason why folks look to the United States as a beacon of democracy and justice is because we honor, respect, and follow the rule of law. Assault in this Nation is never acceptable, no matter the perpetrator or the cause, never. When it comes to our police officers and first responders, that is especially important. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have introduced a bill meant to address this issue and specifically target immigrants in this country, and, unfortunately, they could not help themselves but to introduce inflammatory and anti-immigrant language that distorts what we could accomplish if we were actually willing to work together to find real solutions to our Nation's broken immigration system. That is why I introduced amendments to ensure what we can all agree on: due process, justice, and the rule of law to which we are all entitled to in this country. Let me be clear: If anyone is convicted of an offense involving assault of a law enforcement officer, then they should be held accountable. However, that is not the case in the bill that Republicans have proposed. I remain committed to finding solutions based in truth and justice that address public safety concerns with legislators on both sides of the aisle that also support law enforcement and their families. ____________________”