Does any of this sound familiar? When America’s forefathers — men such as George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin — declared independence and went to war for the freedoms that we not only revere but export, they did so because they simply wanted a say. They wanted to be heard. They wanted a fair shake, and they wanted to control their destiny.
We are a nation of laws, but also of common sense, and our sense of fairness is only rivaled, perhaps, by our capacity to adapt to new realities. A law that is no longer relevant threatens our security, undermines our national interest and relegates us to the bleachers when we have for so long been a leader on the world stage.
George Papagiannis was director of communications for Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) during the 105th Congress. After a stint as officer in charge of the UNESCO office in Baghdad, he now works on media development in post-conflict and post-disaster countries for the organization.
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra and Rep. Joseph Crowley, vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, address a news conference immediately after the closed caucus meeting.
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