[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 489 Engrossed in House (EH)]

<DOC>
H. Res. 489

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                         July 16, 2019.
Whereas the Founders conceived America as a haven of refuge for people fleeing 
        from religious and political persecution, and Thomas Jefferson, 
        Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison all emphasized that the Nation 
        gained as it attracted new people in search of freedom and livelihood 
        for their families;
Whereas the Declaration of Independence defined America as a covenant based on 
        equality, the unalienable Rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of 
        happiness, and government by the consent of the people;
Whereas Benjamin Franklin said at the Constitutional convention, ``When 
        foreigners after looking about for some other Country in which they can 
        obtain more happiness, give a preference to ours, it is a proof of 
        attachment which ought to excite our confidence and affection'';
Whereas President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, ``Remember, remember always, that 
        all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and 
        revolutionists'';
Whereas immigration of people from all over the Earth has defined every stage of 
        American history and propelled our social, economic, political, 
        scientific, cultural, artistic, and technological progress as a people, 
        and all Americans, except for the descendants of Native people and 
        enslaved African Americans, are immigrants or descendants of immigrants;
Whereas the commitment to immigration and asylum has been not a partisan cause 
        but a powerful national value that has infused the work of many 
        Presidents;
Whereas American patriotism is defined not by race or ethnicity but by devotion 
        to the Constitutional ideals of equality, liberty, inclusion, and 
        democracy and by service to our communities and struggle for the common 
        good;
Whereas President John F. Kennedy, whose family came to the United States from 
        Ireland, stated in his 1958 book ``A Nation of Immigrants'' that ``The 
        contribution of immigrants can be seen in every aspect of our national 
        life. We see it in religion, in politics, in business, in the arts, in 
        education, even in athletics and entertainment. There is no part of our 
        nation that has not been touched by our immigrant background. Everywhere 
        immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American 
        life.'';
Whereas President Ronald Reagan in his last speech as President conveyed ``An 
        observation about a country which I love'';
Whereas as President Reagan observed, the torch of Lady Liberty symbolizes our 
        freedom and represents our heritage, the compact with our parents, our 
        grandparents, and our ancestors, and it is the Statue of Liberty and its 
        values that give us our great and special place in the world;
Whereas other countries may seek to compete with us, but in one vital area, as 
        ``a beacon of freedom and opportunity that draws the people of the 
        world, no country on Earth comes close'';
Whereas it is the great life force of ``each generation of new Americans that 
        guarantees that America's triumph shall continue unsurpassed'' through 
        the 21st century and beyond and is part of the ``magical, intoxicating 
        power of America'';
Whereas this is ``one of the most important sources of America's greatness: we 
        lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people--our 
        strength--from every country and every corner of the world, and by doing 
        so we continuously renew and enrich our nation'';
Whereas ``thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we're 
        a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and 
        always on the cutting edge'', always leading the world to the next 
        frontier;
Whereas this openness is vital to our future as a Nation, and ``if we ever 
        closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon 
        be lost''; and
Whereas President Donald Trump's racist comments have legitimized fear and 
        hatred of new Americans and people of color: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) believes that immigrants and their descendants have made America 
        stronger, and that those who take the oath of citizenship are every bit 
        as American as those whose families have lived in the United States for 
        many generations;
            (2) is committed to keeping America open to those lawfully seeking 
        refuge and asylum from violence and oppression, and those who are 
        willing to work hard to live the American Dream, no matter their race, 
        ethnicity, faith, or country of origin; and
            (3) strongly condemns President Donald Trump's racist comments that 
        have legitimized and increased fear and hatred of new Americans and 
        people of color by saying that our fellow Americans who are immigrants, 
        and those who may look to the President like immigrants, should ``go 
        back'' to other countries, by referring to immigrants and asylum seekers 
        as ``invaders,'' and by saying that Members of Congress who are 
        immigrants (or those of our colleagues who are wrongly assumed to be 
        immigrants) do not belong in Congress or in the United States of 
        America.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.