This morning, Pope Francis will make a historic trip to the U.S. Capitol to address a joint meeting of Congress. Thousands from across the country traveled to Washington and have gathered since the early dawn hours along the National Mall for a chance to glimpse and hear from the "People's Pope."
Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has undertaken a mission to highlight the challenge of global poverty. He has visited the sick and washed the feet of the homeless. He has made waves with pronouncements about tolerance of gays and lesbians, reforms to address the status and participation of divorced Catholics, and a relentless focus on wealth inequality. Catholics and non-Catholics alike have been inspired by him and his message about the responsibility we all bear toward one another - as well as to the planet we inhabit, now threatened by climate change.
I'm proud to represent Southern Maryland in Congress - a region that was the first site of Catholic settlement in the American colonies and home to some of our nation's oldest Catholic congregations. When the Pope addresses Congress today, I hope he will speak with authority about issues that Catholics in Maryland and across America have long made their own: alleviating poverty, healing our planet, and fighting for social justice. One issue to which Pope Francis can bring great healing, focus, and resolve is immigration reform. I hope he will use his remarks as an opportunity to remind America's lawmakers of our responsibility to treat immigrants with compassion and not suspicion, with humanity and not disdain.
This first Pope from the Western Hemisphere has also made a special effort to draw attention to the plight of immigrants as they seek opportunity in distant lands. The son of an immigrant who crossed an ocean to find freedom in the New World, Pope Francis has preached empathy for those who have found refuge here in the United States.
For the approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants living and working in our country - many of them having been here for years- Pope Francis's address could bring much-needed attention to their plight. I hope that his words will help make a moral case for why Democrats and Republicans must come together to fix our broken immigration system so that America once again welcomes those who wish to pursue a better life here and contribute to making our nation a better place too.
Though it appeared Congress was close to moving forward with comprehensive immigration reform last Congress, Speaker Boehner refused to bring to the Floor reform legislation and let the House work its will. Even after the Senate passed historic, bipartisan legislation in June 2013, the Republican-led House failed to act. After more than 500 days of waiting for Congress to take the lead, President Obama was forced to act on his own, using his executive authority to create the DACA program to keep immigrant families together and to enable young people who were brought here as minors to stay in the country they love and call home.
However, these are only limited steps. Only Congress can make the statutory changes required to fix our broken immigration system. Democrats have consistently advocated for legislation that would keep families from being split apart and create a pathway to citizenship for DREAMers and others already living here and obeying our laws while enforcing our borders and respecting the rule of law. Many Republicans support these proposals, but Speaker Boehner has not allowed comprehensive immigration reform legislation to be considered on the House Floor.
Pope Francis, a champion of the vulnerable and downtrodden, has an opportunity to make the moral case, on behalf of the many faith leaders and faith-based organizations supporting comprehensive immigration reform, to break the stalemate in Congress. He can remind us of Jesus' call to welcome the immigrant as an act of righteousness, as related in Matthew 25:35-40: "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you invited me in... I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me."
There is no reason why Congress shouldn't be able to come together, inspired by those like Pope Francis and many others of deep faith and moral leadership who have spoken out on this issue, to ensure that America remains a beacon of freedom and opportunity to all who seek it. Our nation is enhanced by those who arrive on our shores ready to work hard and contribute to building strong communities and a vibrant economy. Let's make sure they have the opportunity to continue doing so.