Speech #1140002770

Madam Chair. I rise in support of passage of a clean Homeland Security Appropriations bill that has bipartisan support and will ensure the security of the American people and in opposition to the Republican Amendments to this legislation. most notably the Aderholt and Blackburn Amendments. The Aderholt Amendment would bar the use of any funds to expand the DACA program. which has helped thousands of young people in my district in North and East Houston and Harris County come out of the shadows and be able to go to college and get a job without fear of deportation. as well as the Administrations recently announced DAPA initiative. which would similarly help up to 5 million immigrants who are parents and spouses of U.S. Citizens. who will be required to get right with the law and pay back taxes before receiving relief. The Blackburn Amendment would end the DACA program. deporting hundreds of thousands of DREAMer young people who were brought to this country as children and know no other home. These amendments serve as nothing more than poison pills that will ruin months of bipartisan work by the Appropriations Committee and endanger funding for the very agencies that protect our country from terrorists. drug cartels. and organized crime and harm millions of immigrants who simply want to get right with the law and a fair. transparent path to legalization and earned citizenship. The whole world saw the horrific acts of terrorism in Paris and France last week which resulted in the deaths of 17 innocent people. including 3 police officers. by 4 suspects who are believed to have connections with al Qaeda. In this time of heightened security concerns. the last thing this chamber should contemplate is another fabricated funding crisis. The Obama Administration has already announced its support of the bill. as introduced. and will sign this mustpass legislation into law immediately. I call on my colleagues to support the clean passage of the underlining legislation. oppose these cynical amendments. and to join me in calling for this Congress to take on comprehensive immigration reform and fix our broken immigration system once and for all.