As part of the Democratic Party’s weekly address Saturday, new House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Linda Sanchez tried a new twist on President Trump’s famous slogan. “Together, we will make our country even greater,” she promised.
Sanchez talked up her immigrant and working class origins, as well as the fact that her family sent not one but two daughters to the U.S. Congress, a first.
Sister Loretta Sanchez also served in the House and lost California’s jungle primary – which pits the top two primary candidates against each other in the general election, regardless of their parties — to fellow Democrat and new Sen. Kamala Harris in November.
Linda said her family was “an American story.” She was the “daughter of immigrants” whose parents “came here from Mexico.”
She was one of seven siblings raised by her industrial mechanic father and elementary school teacher mother. And like many Democrats today, she sees the Trump presidency as a deadly serious threat.
“Recently we have seen the President use fear – fear of Muslims and fear of immigrants – as a tool to promote his misguided and poorly developed policies. Policies that not only undermine our American values, but also jeopardize our safety and harm our economy…
“The fight we are in right now is not a fight over politics. It is a fight for the future of our country,” Sanchez argued.
Though she threw Republicans the odd bone — admitting that “removing violent criminals” from the country “should be the priority,” for instance – her message was one of resistance.
Democrats and fellow travelers need to resist bad policies such as “mass deportations” and “building useless walls” but they also ought to just generally resist this administration, she counseled.
“We have seen organized demonstrations in cities all across our country. Men and women from every walk of life coming together to stand up and speak out against a hateful and divisive agenda.
“They are sending a clear message: We will resist. We will persist…
“I beg you, keep flexing your power,” Sanchez said.
