Press Releases

"In November 2015, the President took legal and necessary executive action to reform our broken immigration system by expanding both the Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents (DAPA) program and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. In support of the President's action, I joined members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus this morning on the steps of the Capitol.

"We must close the gender pay gap. Despite the many positive transformative changes in our nation's workforce, women still get paid less for equal work and make 79 cents for every dollar earned compared to their male counterparts. This disparity particularly impacts women of color and cannot continue.

I extend my deepest sympathies to the victims, their families, and the Belgian people in light of today's terrorist attacks. The cowardly violence in Brussels illustrates the danger that extreme ideologies continue to pose to the international community and our common humanity. I condemn in the strongest possible terms today's inhuman attacks which deliberately targeted innocent people, and call for unity in our common efforts against terrorism and extremism.

"The family and friends of Nestora Salgado have been unrelenting in their pursuit of justice for Nestora. Today, after over two years of wrongful imprisonment, and a recent UN decision calling Nestora's detention illegal and arbitrary, the false charges against Nestora have been dropped by Mexican authorities. Nestora has been released from prison and is now able to return home to the United States.

"Congress has a duty to enact a budget that responsibly invests in our nation's future and grows our economy for all Americans. Unfortunately, the Fiscal Year 2017 Budget proposal released by House Republicans earlier this week would take our country in the wrong direction by demanding the most devastating cuts ever proposed by Republicans on the Budget Committee.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran recently conducted a series of ballistic missile tests and may be planning others. While these tests do not violate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), they do violate a separate United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR), and I strongly condemn Iran's actions.

"Iran just conducted its first elections since agreeing to the multilateral deal to give up its nuclear weapons program. While it is true that the Islamic Republic of Iran determines who may run for election, it is also true that the Iranian people turned out in large numbers to support candidates who backed the nuclear deal and want improved relations with the rest of the world.