America's Voice Blog

Posted 03/22/10 at 08:37pm

President Obama: “I pledge to do everything in my power to forge a bipartisan consensus, this year”

Yesterday, President Barack Obama delivered the following message to the 200,000 people gathered on the National Mall for the March for America: "Change Takes Courage:" 

An excerpt from the message:

...I’ve always pledged to be your partner as we work to fix our broken immigration system and that’s a commitment that I reaffirm today. Nobody knows the cost of inaction better than you. You see it in the families that are torn apart and the small business owners who try to do the right thing while others game the system. You see it in the workers, who deserve the protection of our laws and the officers who struggle to keep our communities safe while earning the trust of those they serve.

That’s why today there’s a growing coalition of law enforcement officials, faith and community leaders and members of labor and business sectors who understand that immigration reform is critical to our security and our prosperity. In the end, our broken immigration system affects more than a single community, it affects our entire country. And as we continue to strengthen our economy and jump start job creation, we need to do so with an immigration system that works, not the broken system we have now.

That’s why 9 months ago I asked members of my team to lead efforts to move the legislative process forward. Since then they’ve met with elected officials from both parties and stakeholders from all across the country. And we’ve worked together with Senators Schumer and Graham as they’ve developed a framework that includes common-sense, effective strategies to protect our borders and enforce the law while offering a path to citizenship for hard-working people who register, pay taxes, pay a fine and agree to play by the rules.

I congratulate Senators Schumer and Graham for their leadership. And I pledge to do everything in my power to forge a bi-partisan consensus, this year on this issue.  

You know as well as I do that this wont’ be easy and it won’t’ happen overnight. But if we work together across, ethnic state and party lines, we can build a future worthy of our history as a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.

The President's statements came after weeks of mounting anger and frustration directed at Washington, and the White House in particular-- more background on that here and here. For much of the rally, bellowing chants of "Obama, escucha, estamos en la lucha" (Obama, listen, we're in the fight!) were at least as loud as the well-known "Si, se puede" (Yes we can!) refrain.

With the momentum of 200,000 people showing up to tell Washington, "Change Takes Courage," however, we've seen (at least in words) a renewed pledge by the President to move real immigration reform forward this year-- and to work with Senators Schumer (D-NY) and Graham (R-SC) to forge the bipartisan support needed to get it passed. This was no small feat and will be no small task, and the 200,000 marchers, as well as the millions who they represent back home, will be watching closely to make sure it happens. In other words, they are ready for action.

In another (small, but encouraging) sign of renewed commitment and momentum, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was asked about bipartisan efforts today at a press briefing, and mentioned immigration reform as "still being on the docket:"

Q:  Does the President feel any -- this, obviously, was a very long, hard fight; very bitter and divisive in a lot of ways -- does the President feel any obligation, as a man who campaigned on bridging the partisan divide, to reach out to Republicans for future legislation, for improving the spirit in Washington that has now been so poisoned by this very vicious debate at times?

MR. GIBBS:  I don’t know that -- we’ll be able to look back and see whether the debate itself poisoned the atmosphere.  I think that the President will do on financial reform, on campaign finance, on getting our economy moving again, all of the host of issues that -- immigration reform and energy -- that we’ve talked about still being on the docket, I think the President will continue to reach out to Democrats and Republicans that want to make a positive effort on these issues.

As the President himself stated:

Events like these remind us that real change doesn’t start in the White House or the halls of Congress. It starts with people like you in communities across this country, standing up and making your voices heard.

I think we could say yesterday was a good start.

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