[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 243 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 243

 Recognizing the month of June 2023 as ``Immigrant Heritage Month'', a 
celebration of the accomplishments and contributions of immigrants and 
  their children in making the United States a healthier, safer, more 
   diverse, prosperous country, and acknowledging the importance of 
  immigrants and their children to the future successes of the United 
                                States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 8, 2023

Mr. Menendez (for himself, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Markey, Mr. Wyden, Mr. 
Cardin, Mr. Booker, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Lujan, Ms. Warren, 
Mr. Padilla, Ms. Hirono, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Fetterman, Mrs. Murray, Ms. 
  Rosen, Mr. Whitehouse, and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following 
    resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Recognizing the month of June 2023 as ``Immigrant Heritage Month'', a 
celebration of the accomplishments and contributions of immigrants and 
  their children in making the United States a healthier, safer, more 
   diverse, prosperous country, and acknowledging the importance of 
  immigrants and their children to the future successes of the United 
                                States.

Whereas the United States is stronger if all individuals have the opportunity to 
        live up to their full potential;
Whereas about 18 percent of health care workers in the United States are 
        immigrants, including (in order of highest percentage of health care 
        workers who are foreign-born)--

    (1) 27 percent of physicians;

    (2) 26 percent of dentists;

    (3) 20 percent of pharmacists;

    (4) 18 percent of dental assistants;

    (5) 15 percent of medical assistants;

    (6) 16 percent of registered nurses;

    (7) 15 percent of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses;

    (8) 13 percent of dietitians and nutritionists; and

    (9) 13 percent of optometrists;

Whereas the Association of American Medical Colleges attested to the Supreme 
        Court of the United States that the health care system of the United 
        States relies on immigrant health care providers in their current roles;
Whereas immigrants working in health care professions serve throughout the 
        United States and often in rural or underserved communities;
Whereas immigrants fill approximately \1/4\ of physician roles in the United 
        States;
Whereas immigrants working in a health care occupation range from those granted 
        temporary protected status under section 244 of the Immigration and 
        Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1254a) or deferred action pursuant to the 
        final rule submitted by the Department of Homeland Security entitled 
        ``Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals'' (87 Fed. Reg. 53152 (August 
        30, 2022)) (referred to in this preamble as ``DACA''), to naturalized 
        United States citizens;
Whereas more than 12 percent of the immigrants working in health care 
        occupations (310,000 individuals) are humanitarian migrants, including 
        refugees, asylees, special immigrant visa holders, and parole entrants;
Whereas 60,000 DACA recipients perform critical roles in the health care 
        industry;
Whereas medical students, residents, and physicians rely on DACA for their 
        ability to practice medicine and provide medical care to approximately 
        4,600 patients per year;
Whereas, in response to COVID-19, immigrants put their own lives on the line to 
        save lives every day, working as diagnostic and treatment practitioners, 
        physician assistants, physicians, nurses, health aides, nursing 
        assistants and orderlies, health care support workers, medical students 
        and residents, and health technologists and technicians;
Whereas more than 5,200,000 undocumented immigrants, including more than \1/2\ 
        of all DACA recipients (400,000 individuals) and the majority of 
        Temporary Protected Status holders (more than 220,000 individuals) are 
        considered essential critical infrastructure workers;
Whereas immigrant essential workers, including first responders, health care 
        workers, agricultural workers and meat packers, child care providers, 
        and hospitality and transportation workers, have heroically helped 
        provide medical care, food, shelter, and comfort to the individuals of 
        the United States impacted by COVID-19;
Whereas undocumented immigrants alone contribute an estimated $227,000,000,000 
        of spending power annually to the United States economy, after the 
        payment of $49,000,000,000 of combined Federal, State, and local taxes 
        each year;
Whereas the majority of farm workers in the United States are immigrants, and 
        regardless of politics, have been deemed ``essential workers'' to 
        maintaining a safe food supply for the United States during the COVID-19 
        pandemic;
Whereas immigrants have served in the Armed Forces since the founding of the 
        United States and have fought in every major conflict in United States 
        history, including the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and the conflicts 
        in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq;
Whereas immigrants have put their lives on the line to protect the ideals of the 
        United States and democracy, as well as to protect the lives of the 
        people of the United States, by serving as translators and interpreters 
        for the Armed Forces, including in Afghanistan and Iraq, and performing 
        sensitive and trusted activities for United States military personnel 
        stationed with the International Security Assistance Force;
Whereas immigrants who serve in emerging industries with pronounced labor 
        shortages in the United States, such as artificial intelligence, that 
        rely on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (referred to 
        in this preamble as ``STEM'') skills, not only bolster the economy but 
        also enhance national security and global leadership;
Whereas, when immigrants have a trusting relationship with local law enforcement 
        agencies, immigrants report crime and work with law enforcement agencies 
        on neighborhood crime reduction strategies;
Whereas the United States has the largest number of immigrants in the world and 
        those immigrants represent almost every country in the world, 
        contributing to the rich diversity of people, cultures, cuisine, 
        literature, art, language, academia, music, media, fashion, and customs;
Whereas the United States is more diverse than ever before in its history, with 
        greater shares than ever before of immigrants from India, China, Hong 
        Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, El Salvador, Vietnam, Cuba, the Dominican 
        Republic, South Korea, and Guatemala, and, since 2000, an increase of 
        more than 90 percent of Black immigrants from across the African 
        continent, the Caribbean, Jamaica, and Haiti;
Whereas Black immigrants and their children make up roughly \1/5\ of the overall 
        Black population in the United States (21 percent);
Whereas, in response to recent civil unrest in the United States, immigrants of 
        all backgrounds have pledged their support to fight racial injustice, 
        hand-in-hand with Black immigrants, to fight for accountability from law 
        enforcement and the criminal justice system, and to demand that law 
        enforcement protect all individuals, regardless of their skin color;
Whereas celebrating the racial, ethnic, linguistic, and religious differences of 
        immigrants has resulted in a unified, patriotic, and prosperous United 
        States;
Whereas immigration has long been one of the greatest competitive advantages of 
        the United States;
Whereas immigrants of all skill levels have helped make the economy of the 
        United States the strongest in the world, complementing existing 
        businesses in the United States in times of need and founding successful 
        businesses of their own;
Whereas more than 44 percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants 
        or their children, which generate $7,000,000,000,000 in annual revenue 
        and employ millions of individuals in the United States;
Whereas, although approximately 14 percent of the population of the United 
        States is immigrants, a considerably larger share of the labor force (18 
        percent) is immigrants;
Whereas immigrants are entrepreneurial self-starters who create their own 
        opportunity and employment opportunities for others, with 13 percent of 
        employed immigrants being self-employed compared to 9 percent of 
        employed, native-born individuals of the United States;
Whereas immigrant-owned businesses provide jobs across the United States, 
        supporting the creation of additional jobs through entrepreneurial 
        activity in addition to the jobs they fill within their business;
Whereas immigrants are more likely to have advanced degrees than native-born 
        people of the United States;
Whereas more than 1,000,000 international students are enrolled in colleges and 
        universities across the United States, comprising about 5 percent of the 
        total higher education population and helping make the United States the 
        global leader in higher education;
Whereas approximately 100,000 international students each year would hope to 
        stay and work in the United States, if an immigration option were 
        available to them;
Whereas the immigration system of the United States has not been meaningfully 
        updated in more than 30 years and is now outdated and overburdened, 
        turning away highly skilled workers and international student graduates 
        and putting the global leadership of the United States at risk;
Whereas allowing international student graduates interested in remaining in the 
        United States to secure a permanent immigration status would expand the 
        economy by $233,000,000,000 during the next decade and would help reduce 
        STEM-related talent shortages by 25 percent;
Whereas national security experts agree that it is essential for the United 
        States to maintain its military exceptionalism by being the leader in 
        advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber, quantum, 
        robotics, directed energy, and hypersonic weapons, which are all STEM 
        fields where immigrants fill dangerous labor shortages in the United 
        States;
Whereas, due to population aging and longer life expectancy of the population in 
        the United States requiring an increase in health care workers, 
        immigrants are expected to fill a crucial need in the future health care 
        system of the United States essential to keeping the people of the 
        United States healthy;
Whereas, if undocumented individuals who came to the United States as children 
        (commonly referred to as ``Dreamers'') alone were provided a pathway to 
        citizenship, they would contribute approximately $799,000,000,000 to the 
        economy of the United States during the next 10 years;
Whereas future population growth in the United States will require increased 
        immigration, and by increasing immigration substantially, will keep the 
        United States economically competitive with China and other global 
        economies and reduce future fiscal imbalances for popular programs like 
        programs under the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 301 et seq.);
Whereas, without immigration, the working-age population of the United States 
        will not grow and increasing immigration will help alleviate labor 
        shortages, easing inflation;
Whereas significantly increasing annual immigration levels would double the size 
        of the United States economy by 2050, dramatically lower the ratio of 
        working-age individuals to senior-age individuals, and increase the 
        average income for workers in the United States;
Whereas President Joseph R. Biden, Jr., most recently honored the 
        accomplishments, contributions, and sacrifices of immigrants by 
        proclaiming June 2023 to be ``Immigrant Heritage Month'' and by asking 
        all people of the United States to observe June 2023 with appropriate 
        programming and activities to remind individuals of the values of 
        diversity, equity, and inclusion; and
Whereas continued integration of immigrants from around the world in a manner 
        that encourages and facilitates a pathway to citizenship, economic and 
        social mobility, and civic engagement will perpetuate the prosperity of 
        the United States and reinforce the patriotism all people of the United 
        States feel for the United States, no matter the color of skin, country 
        of origin, or religious background of the individual: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes June 2023 as ``Immigrant Heritage Month'' in 
        honor of the contributions immigrants and their children have 
        made to the United States throughout its history;
            (2) pledges to celebrate immigrant contributions to, and 
        immigrant heritages in, each State;
            (3) welcomes immigrants presently in the United States and 
        individuals seeking to immigrate to the United States to 
        contribute to the health, safety, diversity, and prosperity of 
        the United States by finding their place in the vibrant, 
        multiethnic, and integrated society of the United States;
            (4) encourages the people of the United States to work with 
        their immigrant neighbors and colleagues to advance the current 
        and future well-being of the United States; and
            (5) commits to working with fellow Members of Congress, the 
        executive agencies that administer immigration laws and 
        policies, and the President to promote smart and just 
        immigration policy for immigrants presently in the United 
        States, their families, and individuals seeking to immigrate to 
        the United States in the future.
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