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Office of the 11th Congressional District of Virginia
Formerly the Office of Representative Gerry Connolly
The Washington, D.C., office and the district office of former Representative Connolly will continue to serve the people of the 11th Congressional District of Virginia under the supervision of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Representative Connolly passed away on May 21, 2025. See Press Release

Connolly Statement on President Obama's Immigration Reform Executive Action

Washington, DC, November 20, 2014
Today, the President had to exercise Executive authority to make long-awaited progress on reforming our broken immigration system. A majority of American families and businesses agree action is necessary. This Executive Action should serve as a call to action for Congress, not a reason for more gridlock. Read more.

Connolly Statement on President Obama’s Immigration Reform Executive Action

'The President's executive action should serve as a call to action for Congress, not a reason for more gridlock.'

Today, the President had to exercise Executive authority to make long-awaited progress on reforming our broken immigration system. A majority of American families and businesses agree action is necessary.

This Executive Action should serve as a call to action for Congress, not a reason for more gridlock.

It has been more than 500 days since the Senate passed a comprehensive and bipartisan immigration reform bill. As a cosponsor of the House companion bill and one of the 191 signatories of the discharge petition to force a vote on the House floor, I firmly believe we must take action to keep families together and further secure our borders.  

The great irony is that the loudest voices now opposing the President's action on immigration are, in fact, the same ones who urged him to use that Executive authority just a few months ago to address the influx of unaccompanied minors crossing our southern border.

They cannot have it both ways. Either Executive Action to address immigration reform is appropriate or it isn’t. Congressional inaction, however, is not appropriate, nor is it a substitute for paralysis.

It was Speaker Boehner, who said after the 2012 elections, “This issue has been around far too long. A comprehensive approach is long overdue, and I'm confident that the president, myself, and others can find the common ground to take care of this issue once and for all." That was two years ago.

The foundation for such common ground was the bipartisan Senate bill, which the Speaker has repeatedly refused to bring to the House floor for consideration despite the fact there is a bipartisan majority of Members who would support it. 

Tonight the President showed us the way.  Rightfully, it should encourage Congress to help our nation move further down the road toward comprehensive immigration reform.