Yet here we are debating a provision of this legislation that undermines the very essence of family. This may be the nexttolast shot the Senate will have on standing up for some values for families. I will be offering another amendment on the new point system that will determine future immigration that. hopefully. will give more points to families as part of an overall new system. but ultimately the Dodd amendment and my amendment are likely to be the last opportunities for the Senate to put its votes where its values are. In this case. Senator DODD makes an important point. For those who argue the chain migration issueand I wont take out my chain again to remind people how we dehumanize family members. and we want to make them an abstract object so we can do away with itthe bottom line is. if a U.S. citizen is already claiming their parents. they have ended the chain. if we want to even refer to it in those terms. because that parent can only come here by virtue of a U.S. citizen claiming them. So it means it has to be their son and daughter. That basically ends the chain. This is not a chain migration issue. This is the core of family reunification. to have parents with their children. with their grandchildren who. by the way. under U.S. law. that U.S. citizen is responsible for them financially without question. otherwise. they dont qualify. They dont get their petition approved. It is not just a familial relationship that gives you the ability to claim as a U.S. citizen your parents. you must also show the financial ability to sustain them when you claim them: otherwise. even that right is extinguished. Here we have a foolproof situationno chain migration. no public charge. and. ultimately. the opportunity to strengthen family. If the Senate cannot vote for the Dodd amendment. it simply does not believe in family values. I yield the floor.
Identified stereotypes
Dehumanizing family members by referring to them as a 'chain'