Rep. Gutiérrez Cites Breitbart Reporting, Compares Immigration Hawks To Children’s Book ‘If You Give A Mouse A Cookie’

Rep. Luis Gutiérrez (D-IL) lambasted conservatives seeking to remove immigration language from the National Defense Authorization Action as reminiscent of the demanding mouse in the children’s book “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie.”

The House ultimately voted to strip the immigration language in question — which called on the Pentagon to consider allowing illegal immigrants granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals to enlist — Thursday evening.

Earlier in the day, however, Gutierrez took to the House floor to attack the conservative’s effort to remove the language and Breitbart News’ coverage of the issue — specifically the use of the word “amnesty.”

“Breitbart, in one article a couple of days ago used the word ‘amnesty’ 20 times in less than 1400 words while ticking off the Members who might lose elections to more anti-immigrant candidates if the two studies are allowed to be included in a Defense bill,” he noted.

According to Gutiérrez, the conservatives are like the “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie” title character, who was never satisfied simply with a cookie — he then needed milk, then a straw, etc.

“Anything you give the little mouse is going to lead to a newer and bigger request. That’s what it must feel like to the Speaker of the House Boehner with his nativist wing of his party,” Gutiérrez said.

“If you give them 30,000 more border patrol guards, Mr. Speaker, they’re going to ask you for more deportations,” he charged. “And if you give them a record number of deportations, they’re going to ask the Speaker for a vote to more quickly deport vulnerable children.”

The Illinois Democrat continued speaking in the same style as the children’s book, arguing that conservative calls for more forceful immigration policies will get more demanding the more success they have.

“If you give them the vote for quicker deportations of children, they will demand a vote to deport all DREAMers who have permission to work in the United States legally — 700,000 of them,” Gutiérrez said. “And if you give them the vote on deporting DREAMers, they will ask for a hearing on amending the Constitution to eliminate birthright citizenship.”

“And then at some point they will demand that every single reference to anything related to immigrants without papers — even a research project – be declared an amnesty and stripped from legislation,” he said.

Gutiérrez concluded by arguing that conservative demands will result in the end of the Republican Party as a powerful force.

“At some point, I respectfully suggest you cut off the mouse’s supply of cookies,” he said.