Speech #1140035444

I know this policy of the President to give these young people a chance to be part of America absolutely infuriates most of my Republican colleagues. They cannot stand the thought that the President by Executive order would give these young people a chance. In fact. the House of Representatives on several occasions has tried to reverse this and take away this recognition that these young people can stay here on a temporary basis without being deported. Last fall. the President extended the program in what is known as DAPAdeferred action for parental accountabilityfor those who have been here for a long period of time and would also be given temporary status. registered with the government. and be able to work in our country. Today. the Center for American Progress released a new report on the impact on the economy of the United States of these people eligible for DACA. the young people. and DAPA. their parents. Over the next 10 years. in my home State of Illinois. these two Presidential policies will increase my States gross domestic product by almost $15 billion. and it will increase the overall earnings of the people living in my State. How is that possible? How is it possible to take these undocumented people and turn them into a positive for the economy? Well. I will tell you. that is what happens when they are on the books and working and paying their taxes. as they want to be. as they should be. Senator JOHN MCCAIN of Arizona was just on the floor. He was one of four Republican Senatorsit took some couragewho stepped up and worked with four of us on the Democratic side to write a comprehensive immigration bill. We believe that our immigration system is broken in America. and we want to fix it. We met together for months working on that bill. One of the good reports that came out of the bill was that a comprehensive immigration system where people register. submit themselves to a background check. and pay their taxes has a positive impact on the economy of the United States. Unfortunately. the expansion of these two programs has been blocked by a lawsuit in Texas filed against the President. Earlier this month.