Congressman Antonio Delgado of New York’s 19th House district is among the millions of Americans closely following the start of public impeachment hearings.
Delgado, a first-term Hudson Valley Democrat, held a conference call with reporters minutes before Wednesday’s impeachment hearing began in Washington. Delgado discussed his recent work on veterans issues, town halls and the state of some legislation including a bill that would allow the Department of Veterans Affairs to give counties grants for local veterans’ cemeteries.
Delgado also weighed in on some of the top national headlines.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court signaled that it could be ready to allow the Trump administration to end DACA – the seven-year-old Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals program that allows more than half a million immigrants to work and study in the U.S. without the threat of deportation.
The Obama-era project could be scrapped when the Supreme Court and its conservative majority decides the issue by June. President Trump tweeted that “a deal will be made with the Dems for” DACA recipients to stay.
Delgado said he is deeply concerned regardless of that tweet, and said the administration’s moves are “heartless” and lack “any modicum of compassion.”
“It’s sad that we are even finding ourselves in this position with individuals who are American in every other way except on paper," Delgado said. "We need to change that fact and instead of complicating life, we should be pursuing legislation, as we’ve done in the House, with the DREAMEers and Promises Act, get that through the House, as we’ve done, and now get it through the Senate and sign it into law. That’s what we should be doing.”
As for impeachment, Delgado was a relatively late backer of the effort by House Democrats, voicing his support Sept. 24 just before Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the move.
Delgado said he hopes the first public hearings will be instructive for the public, since many voters haven’t followed each twist and turn.
“It’s important that we create an opportunity for folks to understand what these individuals are able to bring to bear by virtue of their own experiences and what they’ve witnessed themselves,” he said. “I’ve been following these dynamics closely and will continue to follow these dynamics closely. I think it’s important that we all come together during this period of time and make sure that the truth above all else is given an opportunity to be heard.”
Delgado also reiterated what secured his support for the impeachment investigation.
“To be clear, my issue from the beginning, separate and apart from that dynamic, was that the president was using the office of the presidency to ask for a investigation into a political rival from a foreign entity,” he said.
Delgado was also asked about one of the remaining major issues Congress is expected to act on this year: the USMCA, the trade deal meant to replace NAFTA. He says the issue is vital for his district and its many farmers.
“Leadership is in constant conversations and negotiations around attempts to either create changes to the agreement itself, which is unlikely, and/or a side agreement meant to address some of the concerns as they pertain to enforcement provisions around labor and the question of the biologics piece. I’m watching this closely. It’s unclear yet to what extent the side agreement will be finalized, but obviously we want to get to a point where this happens sooner than later.”
And it looks like a government shutdown will be avoided: fellow Hudson Valley Democrat Nita Lowey, chair of the House Appropriations Committee, announced a deal to keep the government funded through Dec. 20.
