Rep. Becerra Sets the Record Straight on Immigration Reform

This week, the Democratic National Committee's Podcast features an interview with U.S. Representative Xavier Becerra of California. In his interview, Becerra sets the record straight on misleading claims made in radio advertisements sponsored by the Republican National Committee. Becerra points out that that it was a Republican bill that sought to criminalize immigrants while Democrats sought a compromise that was both tough and smart.

"The Sensenbrenner bill...said that any immigrant in the country without documents, whether man, woman, or child, senior, disabled, whatever the case might be, you automatically, if this bill became a law, became a criminal," said Becerra. "That was [the Republican's] bill, and we in the House, as Democrats, did everything we could to put a bi-partisan compromise up for a vote," he added.

Becerra also explains why comprehensive immigration reform failed to pass in the Republican controlled Senate.

"The Senate Republicans could not escape the grasp of the far right within their party, and the result is so far a 'do-nothing' Congress with regard to our broken immigration system," he added.

The Podcast also features audio from DNC Chairman Howard Dean on the DNC's new advertising campaign that sets the record straight on where Democrats and Republicans stand on immigration reform. In a new Spanish language radio ad, Democrats hold Republicans accountable for trying to criminalize immigrants, doctors, and churches, and for blocking real progress on immigration reform.

Click here to listen to the podcast.

The DNC's Podcast, an audio broadcast that listeners can download for play on portable music devices or on computers, gives listeners a chance to regularly hear from party leaders, newsmakers, strategists, policy makers, and the grassroots of the Democratic Party.