{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://rohrabacher.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rohrabacher-blasts-obama-s-remarks-on-voting-by-illegal-immigrants", "Rohrabacher Blasts Obamas Remarks on Voting by Illegal Immigrants", "2016-11-07", "2016", "2016-11", "Republican", "House", "CA", "Dana Rohrabacher", "R000409", "rohrabacher.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Rep. Dana Rohrabacher strongly condemned President Obama\u2019s remarks in an interview suggesting illegal immigrants will not be penalized if they vote in Tuesday\u2019s elections. In the televised interview with actress Gina Rodriguez, the president accepted her premise that anyone who votes is a citizen and reassured viewers that immigration authorities do not check voters in search of people in the country illegally.\n\u201cPresident Obama\u2019s betrayal of the American people was exposed by his own words,\u201d said Rohrabacher. \u201cOver the last several years the president has hidden his real goals regarding immigration. But it was finally revealed in response to the interviewer\u2019s question about whether illegals would be allowed to vote and not be tracked down.\n\u201cThe president\u2019s answer was clearly a signal that illegal immigrants may vote without repercussion in Tuesday\u2019s elections,\u201d said the California Republican. \u201cWhile his wording was nebulous, his intent was clear. The president of the United States was encouraging people in this country illegally to go ahead and cast ballots.\u201d\nIn the live broadcast Nov. 3, Rodriguez asked President Obama:\n\u201cMany of the millennials, Dreamers, undocumented citizens \u2014 and I call them citizens because they contribute to this country \u2014 are fearful of voting. So if I vote, will immigration know where I live? Will they come for my family and deport us?\u201d\nPresident Obama responded: \u201cThis is not true. And the reason is \u2014 first of all, when you vote, you are a citizen yourself, and there is not a situation where the voting rolls somehow are transferred over and people start investigating, et cetera.\u00a0The sanctity of the vote is strictly confidential in terms of who you voted for.\u201d\n\u201cThe president\u2019s words,\u201d said Rohrabacher, \u201care a betrayal of the people of this country, both naturalized and native-born. The American people should understand that the president is trying to negate their vote.\u201d\nRohrabacher is a long-time advocate of verifying the citizenship of voters.\n\u201cThe president\u2019s statement, coming just days before opening the polls, is tantamount to election fraud,\u201d he said. \u201cI call on President Obama to recant his statement immediately. Such a statement, coming from someone with the stature of an American president, is unprecedented in history, and it will encourage illegal immigrants to break our election law and thus delegitimize Tuesday\u2019s election.\u201d\nThe congressman is available for further comments on this issue.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0##############\nKenneth Grubbs\nCommunications Director\nRep. Dana Rohrabacher\nForty-eighth District, California", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://rohrabacher.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rohrabacher-blasts-obama-s-remarks-on-voting-by-illegal-immigrants"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3581900857388973, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}