Speech #1140001935

They did not have a chance because they did not have that document that gave them an opportunity to enroll. Well. they are going to school now. and they have pledged to continue to serve this country as doctors. given that chance. in some of the poorest communities in my State and our Nation. In past speeches I have given on this floorover 50 of themI have highlighted the contributions that many DACA recipients already make to our country. They are working as engineers. small business owners. and public school teachers. The Center for American Progress and the Partnership for a New American Economy has found that giving legal status to DREAMers will add $329 billion to our economy and create 1.4 million new jobs by 2030. How can this be possible that 600.000 have that kind of impact? These are not ordinary young people or ordinary young graduates. These are extraordinary young people who want to be part of this Nation of immigrants. But the Republicans in the House of Representatives want to end DACA. They want to put an end to this program. They argue it was unconstitutional for the President to say he would suspend deportation for these young people. They want these young people to be deported. removed from this country. sent back to countries where many of them can never recall living. going to countries where they literally cannot speak the language. That is the House Republican position. They feel so strongly about deporting these young people. they are willing to hold the Homeland Security funding bill hostage to force the Democrats to agree. Well. let me be clear. Democrats will not be swayed by this kind of blackmail. We will insist the Department of Homeland Security be funded and that the President have the authority that every President has had to establish his own immigration policies within the limits of Executive authority. It is the height of unfairness. First congressional Republicans obstructed immigration reform legislation. Now they want to obstruct the very agency responsible for homeland security. It was more than a year and a half agothe date was June 27. 2013on the floor of this Senate. we passed comprehensive immigration reform with a strong bipartisan vote of 68 to 32. This billwhich I joined seven other colleagues. Democrats and Republicans. working on itstrengthened our border to a level even greater than today. cracked down on illegal immigration. protected American workers in a fair and humane manner. and addressed the challenges facing 11 million undocumented workers currently living in our country. But for the last year and a half. the House of Representatives. led by Speaker BOEHNER. has refused to allow a vote on the Senates immigration reform bill. Not once would they allow this bill to come to the floor of the House for a vote. If Speaker BOEHNER had brought the bill to the floor. it would have passed with a strong bipartisan vote. He knew it and he was determined not to ever let that happen. It was only after the Speaker had demonstrated clearly to the President. to the Senate. and to the American people that he would not even participate in the debate on immigration reform that President Obama issued his second order. I have been involved in a lot of efforts to pass bipartisan immigration reform legislation. It is so frustrating for us to have finally passed a bill in the SenateDemocrats and Republicans. supported by the AFLCIO. representing organized labor. supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. representing business. supported by virtually every major faith in this countryand then to see it ignored and stopped in the House of Representatives. So President Obama. after the election. announced that. having given the Republicans in the House a chance to legislate. he would use his powers to try to fix our broken immigration system. to put on temporary hold the deportations of individuals who are the parents of U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. who have lived in our country for years. and who pose no threat to Americas safety. This is clearly not amnesty. because at the end of the day. what the President has given is only a temporary reprieve to these people to stay and work in Americaso long as they register and pay their fee. so long as they submit themselves regularly to criminal background checks. and so long as they pay their fair share of taxes. This deferred action status does not give them permanent status or citizenship. It is not amnesty by any definition. The Presidents Executive action will make America safer. bringing millions of immigrants out of the shadows to register with the government and to go through background checks. It will also help our economy and American workers. You see. these undocumented workers. working off the books. are many times paid much less than minimum wage. if they are paid at all. and they are competing with American workers. Once they are brought out of the shadows under the Presidents recent Executive order. they will need to be paid the ongoing wages. the minimum wage of America. By bringing these workers into the legal workforce. it will eliminate the unfair competition of the underground economy. And all of these workers will be paying their taxes. which will increase tax revenues by billions of dollars each year. The Presidents Executive action is also smart and realistic when it comes to enforcing our immigration laws. It is not humanly possible to deport all of the undocumented immigrants in this country. So every administration has had to set priorities on those who will be deported and those who will not. The government should not waste its limited resources to deport immigrants who have lived and worked here for years. who have children who are citizens or lawful permanent residents. and who do not pose any threat to Americas future. Instead. the administration has made it a top priority to deport those who have committed serious crimes or are a threat to safety. Now. Executive action on deportation is clearly lawful. Every single PresidentDemocrat and Republicanevery one of them since President Dwight David Eisenhower has used his Executive authority to improve our immigration system. This argument that it is somehow unconstitutional just does not bear basic scrutiny. The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that the Federal Government has broad authority to decide whom to deport. President Obama is acting well within his legal authority when he establishes policies about whom will be deported by this administration. The American people have elected us to solve problems. Because the House Republican leadership has failed to reform our immigration system. the President had no choice but to use his authority under the law to improve our economy and security and keep families together and at least do a small part toward solving Americas broken immigration system problems. However you feel about the Presidents immigration policies. it is hypocritical and counterproductiveit is just wrongto take out your frustration by putting at risk critical homeland security funding. I hope the House Republicans will somehow or another overcome this fit of pique that has led us to this moment and realize their first obligation is to this great Nation.