[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 123 (Wednesday, September 18, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H5641-H5648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2013, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardenas) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. CARDENAS. Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to be here on the 
floor to speak to America and those around the world who watch and 
understand all that we try to do in this Congress. It gives me great 
pleasure and honor to speak tonight about a very important issue that 
faces America but is just as important to people from all over the 
world.
  The United States of America is the country where dreams come true. 
It's not hard to see that citizenship is a cornerstone of that American 
Dream. We're a Nation of immigrants--and immigration remains one of the 
great strengths of our great Nation.
  Yesterday, we celebrated Citizenship Day and were reminded of the 
important contributions immigrants have made to America--immigrants 
from all over the world.
  As Congress continues to delay the passage of comprehensive 
immigration reform, we're again reminded that the inclusion of a 
pathway to citizenship is essential to ensuring that all immigrants are 
able to fully contribute to our economy, workforce, and to our 
communities.
  One of the major reasons that we have so many undocumented workers in 
this great Nation is because our legal immigration system is broken. We 
should work as hard as possible to ensure that hardworking men and 
women who simply want to live the American Dream can do so--and that 
they can do so as American citizens.
  What happens when immigrants are able to become citizens rather than 
just seeing their immigration status legalized? The answer is simple. 
We--all of us in America--will have a stronger and more integrated 
Nation, a stronger

[[Page H5642]]

economy, and stronger communities. The economic benefits of citizenship 
are undeniable. Research shows failure to include a path to citizenship 
would have significant economic costs in terms of lost opportunity for 
growth, earnings, tax revenues, and jobs for Americans.
  Providing only legal status with no pathway to citizenship would 
result in $568 billion less in national productivity and $321 billion 
less in total income, 820,000 fewer total jobs would be created, and 
Federal and State governments would lose out on $75 billion in 
additional tax revenue, according to outside estimates.

                              {time}  2000

  Refusing immigrants the opportunity to become U.S. citizens hurts 
America. It hurts Americans as well. It hurts our economic interests as 
a country.
  I want to fix our immigration system and to give those who are 
willing to work hard for this Nation and sacrifice of themselves an 
opportunity to do so as Americans. This is why I will continue to work 
with Democrats, Republicans, and anyone willing to listen to pass an 
immigration reform bill that is comprehensive and includes a path to 
citizenship.
  At this time, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce 
Congressman Steny Hoyer, the minority whip from Maryland. Maryland is 
one of the earliest States where immigrants landed. Even your State, 
Congressman Hoyer, has a flag that represents those immigrants and 
their contributions to Maryland; correct?
  Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  He is absolutely correct, of course. The Maryland flag, which I think 
is one of the more distinctive State flags, has four quadrants, two of 
which represent the Baltimore family to which the Royal charter was 
given, as the gentleman observed, and two represent the Crossland 
family, which was the wife of Lord Baltimore. So I appreciate the 
gentleman referring to that. And of course all of us live in States 
that were started by immigrants.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to join my friend, Representative Cardenas, and 
other distinguished Members who are here tonight to pay tribute to the 
immigrant heritage of our country.
  ``From her beacon hand glows worldwide welcome,'' wrote the poet Emma 
Lazarus. She went on with her poem to say:

       ``Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp,'' cries she with 
     silent lips. ``Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled 
     masses yearning to be free, the wretched refuse of your 
     teeming shores. Send these, the homeless, the tempest-tossed, 
     to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.''

  That iconic image we see so often is a symbol of America's welcome to 
those who would participate in making it better. But the poet was 
wrong. It was not the wretched refuse of the teeming shores that came 
to America. It was some of the most risk-taking, courageous, 
entrepreneurial people. It took courage to leave their land, to leave 
their language, and to come to America. But because they had ambition 
and vision and hope, they came. And they helped to build the greatest 
Nation the world has ever seen. Those words engraved on the Statue of 
Liberty are a creed of which our Nation must always keep faith.
  For Americans, citizenship means more than belonging to a place. It 
represents a sacred bond not only between those who carry it, but a 
sacred duty to make sure others can earn it who share our devotion to 
liberty and justice for all. Yes, those immigrants, they believed that 
declaration intoning pursuit of happiness. What a wonderful concept 
that ``we hold these truths to be self-evident.'' Pursuit of happiness 
is one of those values that we hold forth to all the world.
  You know, we hear a lot of talk, Mr. Speaker, on this floor and in 
our national discourse about what makes America exceptional, about what 
makes us unique and special among the nations of the world. The answer, 
I believe, is that we have brought together the best of all the nations 
of the world. Those who come seeking shelter on our shores do so 
because they want to work hard to succeed. They're willing to take the 
risk of leaving all that they know just for a chance to make it in 
America. That is why the Congress must pursue, Mr. Speaker, 
comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship.
  Mr. Speaker, 40 percent of all the Nobel Prize winners in America 
were born on foreign shores. They came here, contributed here, excelled 
here, and made our country better. Those who have come here to build a 
strong America--and those who were brought here as children and have 
known no other home--deserve a chance to keep contributing to this 
country through their hard work and their service to our communities.
  Mr. Speaker, I am the son of an immigrant, an immigrant from Denmark. 
Serving with me in this Chamber are the sons and daughters, grandsons 
and granddaughters, great-grandsons and great-granddaughters, and yes, 
even more generations before. Grandsons of immigrants from Mexico, from 
Italy, from China, from Africa, from Eastern Europe, from the 
Caribbean, from Asia--indeed, from every land in this world.
  In marking Citizenship Day, which was yesterday, it is up to us to 
make sure that our exceptional American idea of citizenship continues 
to manifest itself as an extended hand to all who love freedom, are 
committed to justice, and wish to build a strong America for all its 
people. Comprehensive immigration reform will enable us, as it has in 
the past, to keep that hand extended and bring into our society and 
economy those who believe in the power of the American Dream.
  Mr. Speaker, let us work together, not as Democrats and Republicans, 
but as fellow immigrants. First, second, third, fourth, fifth, however 
many generations, we are the children of immigrants. Let us work 
together to fix our immigration system and ensure that the lamp beside 
the golden door continues to shine its light to enrich our Nation and 
continue to offer hope and inspiration for all the world.
  I want to thank my colleague, Tony Cardenas, from California. He is a 
new Member, but an extraordinarily experienced Member. He knows about 
immigration firsthand. I want to thank him for taking this Special 
Order because it is important for America to keep that lamp lifted. And 
to do so, Mr. Speaker, we need, as Mr. Cardenas has said, to pass a 
comprehensive immigration bill. And, Mr. Speaker, we ought to pass it 
this year.
  I thank the gentleman for taking the time. I thank the gentleman for 
yielding me the time.
  Mr. CARDENAS. Thank you very much, Congressman Hoyer. I appreciate 
those eloquent words and also the fact that you pointed out that you 
are definitely a proud American, yet at the same time you are proud to 
say that you're the son of immigrants. That's a beautiful thing for us 
to welcome and embrace in this country. I hope and pray that we do, in 
fact, pass comprehensive immigration reform and pass it soon. So thank 
you so much for your leadership.

  Next, Mr. Speaker, I would like to invite to share a few words with 
all of us my colleague, Marc Veasey, from the Dallas/Fort Worth 
metroplex area.
  Congressman Veasey, I know Texas is a State of proud patriots, and 
they must have been very proud when we read from the Constitution 
earlier this year at the beginning of our session. That document is the 
basis of a lot of what makes our country so appealing to those people 
from all over the world who want to come here and contribute to this 
great Nation; isn't it?
  Mr. VEASEY. Absolutely.
  Mr. CARDENAS. Why don't you tell us a little bit about what being a 
citizen is like and what it means to you and the folks in your 
district, many of whom protect and defend our great Nation.
  Mr. VEASEY. Congressman Cardenas, I thank you very much for doing 
this. I would like to thank my friend from the Golden State of 
California for leading this important discussion. I'm also very proud 
that this is a very diverse group that is here today to talk about the 
importance of citizenship and diversity.
  As it was pointed out a minute ago by Steny Hoyer, our whip, he 
talked about his background and him being a first-generation American. 
So many of the contributions and so many of the things that make 
America what it is today is because of immigrants. This discussion is 
very important. And Congressman Hoyer is right; we need to

[[Page H5643]]

pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill because it's the right 
thing to do.
  When you talk about the growth and you look at the gross domestic 
product, U.S. personal income, I can tell you in my own personal State 
of Texas what immigrants mean to our vibrant economy. We have so many 
people that are moving to our State every day. And much of that success 
that we are experiencing in Texas, the Lone Star State, particularly in 
Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, is because of immigrant growth.
  This week we celebrate 226 years since the U.S. Constitutional 
Convention was signed into law. Since that time, America's Constitution 
has been seen as the backbone for the rights and freedoms of all U.S. 
citizens. The U.S. Constitution is the epitome of what it means to be 
an American citizen in our country. September 17, the day it was 
adopted, is a day to celebrate what this document means for those who 
have become or who aspire to be U.S. citizens.
  Throughout our Nation's history, immigrants have embraced the spirit 
of liberty, justice, and equality for all. These were the same 
principles that guided the Framers of the Constitution as they built a 
stronger republic. The Founding Fathers felt that the people who 
immigrated and spent years building lives in this country deserved 
citizenship. We should have that same spirit today in this body.
  They were keenly aware that making new immigrants wait a long time 
for citizenship denied them the very rights that Americans had just 
fought to claim for themselves. By guaranteeing a uniform rule of 
naturalization, the Constitution presupposes an immigrant nation. Let's 
join the Framers by pledging to support and defend the Constitution and 
the laws of the United States of America.
  Each year during Citizenship Day, we recognize the newest members of 
the American family as they pledge allegiance to our Constitution in 
naturalization ceremonies across our great country. This week, U.S. 
Citizenship and Immigration Services will welcome over 18,000 new U.S. 
citizens during more than 180 naturalization ceremonies hailed across 
the country.
  As thousands take their first step towards the American Dream, we 
must all recognize the obstacles that still exist for so many others 
who long to contribute to the next chapter of America's story. The 
steps toward becoming a citizen are riddled with difficult, confusing, 
and very expensive hurdles. In addition to the cost and bureaucracy, 
there are also some individuals in the community preying on immigrants, 
taking their money and telling them they are guaranteed citizenship.
  Our national, economic, social, and cultural vibrancy are the direct 
result of labor and efforts of generations of immigrants. According to 
the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration at the University of 
Southern California, income rises an average of 8 to 11 percent when 
immigrants become citizens.
  Delaying and ignoring real problems in our broken immigration system 
for political purposes has not brought solutions; it has only brought 
heartache for the many families who wish to assimilate and make America 
stronger.
  In the spirit of Citizenship Day, I stand with my colleagues to 
recognize the many benefits that immigrants bring to the United States 
of America.
  Mrs. Velasquez-Acosta came to this country from El Salvador and 
became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Now her son Sam works in the office 
of a Member of the United States House of Representatives. In fact, he 
serves the constituents of the 33rd Congressional District in the 
congressional office that I represent. He is truly a living person that 
can tell you the benefits of immigration--he and his family.
  I believe that there is a level of optimism because I see it in Sam 
and I see it in so many others who reside in the 33rd Congressional 
District, the level of optimism that immigrants have historically 
brought to this country and to our State. When you bring new people 
into the American family, you energize and get others involved.

                              {time}  2015

  We must focus on the urgency of helping the almost 9 million legal 
permanent residents who are eligible for citizenship in this country. 
We must help them take those final steps toward the American Dream so 
they can fully become a part of the Democratic process. That's what 
it's all about.
  Today, we must rededicate ourselves to pass comprehensive immigration 
reform. This fair, commonsense system would include a pathway to 
citizenship for those here now, a family reunification system, and a 
market-based structure that meets legitimate labor needs, protecting 
both the interest of American workers and industry.
  As a nation of immigrants, let us celebrate the long line of aspiring 
citizens who have had a positive impact on our history. Immigrants have 
enriched our character, contributed to our economy by founding 
businesses and creating jobs, and have sacrificed their livelihoods so 
that they could defend our freedoms and secure a brighter future for 
our children.
  The men who signed our Constitution 226 years ago--226 years ago--
envisioned the United States as a land of opportunity. Today, as 
legislators, we are charged with building on that same vision, and our 
Nation will be stronger for it.
  I thank my friend from California for using this time to talk about 
something that is so important to our country. We can no longer wait. 
The time is now.
  Mr. CARDENAS. Thank you very much, Congressman Veasey. Thank you for 
sharing those words with all of us.
  Mr. Speaker, next I would like to introduce Kyrsten Sinema from 
Arizona. She knows what dreams are made of and what it takes to be a 
participant in making those dreams come true.
  Ms. SINEMA. Thank you, Mr. Cardenas, for holding this event this 
evening. I appreciate the time.
  Mr. Speaker, many others who will be speaking this evening will spend 
time talking about the numbers or the benefits of changing our 
immigration laws in our country.
  I'm going to tell just one brief story about my district. When I was 
elected to Congress earlier this year, I was invited, as many Members 
of Congress are, to address and welcome newly sworn-in citizens. As the 
swearing-in ceremony was happening on a day that I was in Washington, a 
member of my team back in Phoenix joined that citizenship ceremony and 
spoke on my behalf.
  After the event was over, I asked her how it went. It was her first 
time speaking publicly on behalf of our office, and I asked her what it 
was like. She answered by telling me about her experience.
  The staffer who went to the citizenship ceremony on my behalf is a 
young woman named Erika Andiola. Erika Andiola is a Dreamer. She was 
born in Mexico and brought to this country as a young person. She went 
to junior high and high school in Phoenix, Arizona. She later went to 
Arizona State University and graduated with high honors. She now works 
for me in my office as an outreach director.
  Erika spoke to the individuals who had just become citizens at the 
citizenship ceremony and welcomed them as new citizens to our country. 
What she said to me afterwards was that one day she hopes to sit in 
that citizenship ceremony herself and to become a citizen of these 
United States.
  Mr. Cardenas, members of the Ninth District, fellow citizens of this 
country, this is the reason we must get the immigration reform. Young 
people like Erika Andiola have lived in this United States for almost 
their entire lives and know no other country. While they watch others 
become citizens, they still dream for that day themselves.
  Mr. Cardenas, we must make that happen for Erika.
  Mr. CARDENAS. Thank you very much, Congresswoman Sinema.
  Next, I would like to invite to share a few words with all of us 
Congressman O'Rourke from Texas.
  Congressman, a lot of us have talked about citizenship and what it 
means when you raise your hand and swear allegiance to this country, 
and the many ways that immigrants have contributed to our great Nation. 
But for you I think it touches a little closer to home.
  I've heard there's a new American citizen in your district who has 
made a major contribution to your congressional office. Can you share 
with us that story?

[[Page H5644]]

  Mr. O'ROURKE. Mr. Speaker, I am very honored to be here today to 
speak on the topic of immigration reform, immigration reform that is 
humane, that is rational, that is fiscally responsible, and to be doing 
so with the guidance and leadership of Congressman Cardenas, my friend 
from California, who despite his short tenure in Congress has really 
emerged as a leader on this very important issue--important to me, 
important to the community I represent in El Paso, Texas, important to 
our State, and important to our country. Frankly, just to extend it one 
more time, important to the world, because I think the world's eyes are 
on us today, they're on us as we decide how we are going to respond to 
this opportunity, this once in a 20- or 30-year opportunity to make 
meaningful, positive changes in our broken immigration system, because 
as Steny Hoyer said earlier, ``we are proudly a Nation of immigrants.''
  I'm sure it is this way for the gentleman from California, but for me 
the moral and ethical reasons are the most compelling--to do the right 
thing for those people who are already in our communities, for the 
people who have so much to offer who have yet to come to our shores and 
will add to the economy, to the civic strength of our communities and 
make the places that we live in and the country that we call home a 
better place.
  I think of Edgar Falcon, a constituent of mine, a U.S. citizen, who 
is working. While he's working, he's also going to nursing school to 
improve his life, his ability to compete in the marketplace, his 
opportunity to contribute back to the community that we live in.
  To complete his life beyond his education and his work and everything 
that he has done in the community, he wants to marry the woman of his 
dreams, a woman named Maricruz, who currently lives in Durango, Mexico, 
who would love to be here with the man that she loves.
  But unfortunately, because of our current broken immigration system, 
she's unable to live here in the United States with the man that she 
loves. He's unable to bring her here because when she was a child, her 
sister, while they were crossing into the United States, falsely 
claimed citizenship for the both of them. Under our current broken 
immigration system, that has earned her a lifetime ban from reentry to 
the United States.
  So despite the fact that an American citizen, someone I represent, 
someone who pays taxes into our government, someone who is by all 
measures doing everything he can to make our community and our country 
a better place, he cannot be with the woman he loves because of what I 
think to be a very arbitrary and unhelpful law that is separating two 
people who deeply love each other.
  What we need to do is correct this through comprehensive immigration 
reform and through a measure that we'll be introducing this week, the 
American Families United Act, that will allow judges some level of 
discretion in cases like these where we have someone who poses no 
threat to our country, who can pay a fine, do some sort of penance for 
a mistake they made or a family member made on their behalf, and then 
if it makes sense for our community and our security is secured, they 
are able to join our community, the person that they want to marry, a 
U.S. citizen.

  I hope that we'll have others who will join us in cosponsoring this 
legislation that we'll introduce this week because there are literally 
thousands upon thousands of American families, families of U.S. 
citizens, who are affected negatively by this immigration law.
  As I said earlier, we want to do the right thing for the right 
reasons, for the moral imperative. Coming from El Paso, Texas, we 
really have been the Ellis Island for much of Latin America, including 
Mexico. The people who came through our ports of entry ended up in Los 
Angeles, they ended up in California, they went to Chicago, they went 
to New York, they went to all points east, west and north, and then 
many tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, chose to stay in El 
Paso.
  It is because of those immigrants, both legal and unauthorized 
immigrants I would argue, that El Paso today is the safest city in the 
United States. It was the safest city last year as well, it was the 
safest city the year before that. For the last 10 years, El Paso has 
been one of the top five safest cities in the United States.
  When we hear people, who I think out of ignorance, say that we need 
to secure the border before we move forward with comprehensive 
immigration reform, I tell them that today we are spending $18 billion 
on border security, more than we are spending on all other Federal law 
enforcement agencies combined, that we've built hundreds of miles of 
fencing, that net migration last year from Mexico was actually zero, 
that El Paso is the safest city, San Diego is the second-safest. The 
U.S. side of the U.S. border compared to the rest of the country is far 
safer. We do not have a border security problem today. The border has 
never been more secure or more safe.
  For all of those reasons, all of the moral ones and all of the 
commonsense ones that I just cited, we should do the right thing. Yet 
that is not enough for some people.
  I will conclude by saying this. It is in our moral interest as a 
country that wants to do the right thing. It makes all the common sense 
in the world to do the right thing. But if we look at our economic 
self-interest, today it is already proven that immigrants, including 
unauthorized immigrants, contribute far more to our economy, they 
contribute far more to our tax base, they contribute far more to job 
opportunities and quality of life than they take in benefits. That has, 
I think, been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.
  What we also know is that if some form of the current proposal for 
comprehensive immigration reform passes, the CBO has scored it such 
that within the first 10 years these new immigrants to our country who 
will be on a path to citizenship will be able to reduce our deficit by 
more than $150 billion. In the next 10 years, those same immigrants 
will reduce our deficit an additional $800 to $900 billion. They'll 
also be contributors into Social Security, one of the pillars of our 
social safety net, one that is unable to meet its obligations in the 
not too distant future. This is surely going to help us to shore up 
Social Security as well.
  So whether we look at the moral dynamic, whether we look at what 
makes common sense for our communities and our country, or whether we 
look at our economic self-interest, comprehensive immigration reform 
that is rational, that is humane, and that is fiscally responsible 
makes sense for this country.
  Mr. CARDENAS. Thank you very much, Congressman O'Rourke. We 
appreciate the opportunity to hear a perspective from your part of 
Texas and our great country.
  Next, I would like to welcome and talk a little bit with Congressman 
Bill Foster of Illinois, a little bit right now.
  Congressman Foster, part of the American Dream is owning a home. I, 
myself, was a real estate broker before getting involved in elected 
office, and I know that it's tough for those people who want to own a 
home if they don't have their documentation in order or their 
citizenship in order. We have a lot of vacant homes around the country, 
and I know we have some in your district and in my district.
  Do you think that more American citizens working hard and 
contributing to our economy would help our home-buying market?
  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to highlight the 
many important contributions that immigrants make to our Nation and our 
economy, to our scientific progress, and to say a few special words on 
the positive impact that comprehensive immigration reform will have on 
the real estate market in our country.
  We are a Nation of immigrants. Many of us are second- or third-
generation Americans, and we have all benefited from the sacrifices 
that our ancestors made in search of a better life in America.
  In fact, my wife is a first-generation Asian-American who came to the 
United States to pursue her education, and was able to become a legal 
immigrant and a citizen and a Ph.D., in fact, but who knows that even 
our legal immigration system does not work as well as it should.
  Every day, families come to this country in search of the American 
Dream--better jobs, better education, and a better life for their 
families.

[[Page H5645]]

  I am proud to represent many of these families, but would like to 
share just one incredible story of one of my constituents, Juventino 
Cano. Growing up, Juventino lived on a farm in Colima, Mexico, with his 
parents and six brothers and sisters. Their home didn't have lights or 
electricity, and they all worked long hours on the family farm to make 
ends meet.
  When he was 17 years old, his stepbrothers encouraged him to come to 
Aurora, Illinois, and told him about the wonderful opportunities that 
awaited him in America. He was able to get a job with his stepbrothers 
at a packaging company.
  By 1986, Juventino not only held a steady job and had learned 
English, but he had opened his own company, Cano Container Corporation, 
in Aurora, Illinois. What started with a single machine and three 
employees has now grown into a company with over $20 million a year in 
annual sales. Today, not only is Juventino the president and CEO of the 
Cano Container Company, he also serves on the board of directors for 
the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and as the president of 
the board of directors of the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

                              {time}  2030

  Cano Container Company has also received its share of accolades, 
including being named the minority manufacturer of the year by the 
United States Department of Commerce in 2007.
  The city and the economy of Aurora, Illinois, have greatly benefited 
from Juventino's many contributions to the community. His story reminds 
us that immigration reform is good for economic growth. More than 40 
percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or children 
of immigrants. These American companies represent seven of the 10 most 
valuable brands in the world and collectively employ more than 10 
million people and generate annual revenue of $4.2 trillion. That's a 
quarter of our economy.
  Additionally, immigrants have a huge impact on our housing market, 
and passage of comprehensive immigration reform will have a huge 
positive impact on our still-recovering real estate markets. A study 
from Harvard University found that in recent years, foreign-born 
households accounted for 30 percent of the overall growth in the 
housing sector.
  According to the ``2012 State of Hispanic Homeownership'' report, it 
is likely that comprehensive immigration reform would generate 3 
million new Hispanic home buyers over the next several years. Every day 
that we fail to pass comprehensive immigration reform, we are 
forfeiting millions of dollars of economic growth and tax revenue and 
slowing the recovery of our housing markets.
  If we passed immigration reform that provides a pathway to 
citizenship for undocumented immigrants, it would increase State and 
local tax collections by almost $150 million a year in Illinois alone. 
On the other hand, if all unauthorized immigrants were removed from 
Illinois, the State would lose $25.6 billion in economic activity, 
$11.4 billion in gross State product, and approximately 120,000 jobs.
  As a scientist, I've also seen firsthand the valuable contributions 
that immigrants make. For 20 years, I worked as a physicist at Fermi 
National Lab in Illinois, and every day the flags from dozens of 
countries flew outside the facilities representing the nationalities of 
all of the scientists performing experiments at Fermilab.
  Thousands of students from other countries have come to the U.S. to 
get their Ph.D.s and training at our research facilities, and it has 
been the policy of our country to turn most of them away when the work 
is done and their education is complete. While this may have made sense 
in the years after World War II when we were trying to avoid the brain 
drain from countries trying to rebuild themselves, times have changed. 
The economic winds are now blowing in both directions, and we need to 
stop pushing our accomplished scientists and researchers out of our 
country and instead encourage them to stay here and to build 
businesses, expand their research, and help grow our economy. The 
comprehensive immigration bill passed by the Senate does exactly that: 
it encourages the best and brightest scientists and researchers to stay 
here and add to our economy and our R&D capabilities.
  As we contemplate a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million 
undocumented immigrants and consider reforming our legal immigration 
system, let's remember all of the contributions that immigrants, past 
and present, have made to our country.
  Our Nation has a long and proud history of welcoming immigrants in 
search of a better life for themselves and their families, but our 
current immigration system is broken. We now have a historic 
opportunity to bring 11 million people out of the shadows.
  We have to remember that at any moment we are just 5 days away from 
passing immigration reform and having it be the law of the land. All it 
will take is for Speaker Boehner to wake up one morning and listen to 
the voices of his church, listen to the voices of the chambers of 
commerce, listen to the voices of business and ordinary people all over 
this country and decide to bring the Senate immigration bill up for a 
vote where it will pass with a bipartisan majority and be signed into 
law by the President.
  This would be a historic moment and exactly the kind of 
bipartisanship that people expect from their elected representatives. 
If and when Speaker Boehner decides to act and allow the House a vote 
to pass the Senate immigration bill, we could boost our economy, 
including our real estate markets, reduce our national debt and, most 
importantly, bring 11 million people out of the shadows. We cannot let 
this opportunity pass us by.
  Mr. CARDENAS. Thank you very much.
  Next I would like to yield to Congresswoman Lois Capps.
  Congresswoman, both of us are from California, and we've seen the 
incredible impact that immigrants have made in our great State of 
California. Recognizing those contributions is not a partisan matter 
for us in California now, is it?
  One thing that I'd like for you to share with us, please, is your 
perspective on whether or not this is a partisan issue.
  Mrs. CAPPS. I thank my colleague from California, Tony Cardenas. And, 
yes, I do have a letter that I will share, but I want to discuss the 
matter in general first and thank my colleague for organizing all of us 
to be here to address a topic that is of central importance to our 
State of California and the entire country.
  I join my colleagues in strong support for comprehensive immigration 
reform. We honor the many contributions that immigrants have made to 
our country during Citizenship Day this week, but we cannot forget the 
millions of immigrants left behind by our broken immigration system. 
These are the immigrants who contribute to key sectors of our economy. 
They are such a vital part of agriculture, housing, manufacturing, 
retail, hospitality, tourism, engineering, technology, and on and on.
  These are hardworking people, immigrants who often face separation 
from their families, lower wages, and face the fear of deportation; and 
this forces them to take their skills often to our competitors at 
great disadvantage to our own economy. We can all agree that our 
current immigration system is not working. It's holding back our 
country and our economy, and now is the time to fix it.

  While I've been traveling in my congressional district, I've heard 
personally from business sectors of our economy on the central coast of 
California that are hurt on a daily basis by this broken immigration 
system. There are high-tech companies in Goleta, California, frustrated 
by seeing many of our brightest UC Santa Barbara graduates being sent 
back to their native countries to work for competitive companies and 
countries because of a lack of high-skilled worker visas.
  I've met with growers in California's agriculture industry who are so 
important in my local economy, critical to our national economy, and 
who struggle to find a stable and a consistent workforce. This 
threatens the sustainability of our crops.
  I've met with workforce and labor organizations who want to ensure 
workers can earn fair wages and contribute to our economy and our 
communities. We must act now to establish a fair, but tough, pathway to 
citizenship to provide the security and stability our economy needs.

[[Page H5646]]

  I now refer to the chart which indicates so graphically the 
difference between a path to legalization only and the strong 
advantages of that pathway to citizenship.
  Comprehensive reform would boost California's economy alone by $7.3 
billion. It would create nearly 77,000 new jobs in our State of 
California just next year. This should be one of our Nation's top 
priorities.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also note for the record that while Members of 
my party are very enthusiastic about advancing comprehensive 
immigration reform, this is an issue with strong bipartisan support. 
For example, the Senate passed comprehensive immigration reform on a 
strong bipartisan vote not too long ago, and just last week a number of 
Republican members of the California State legislature made their 
voices heard on this issue--and that's the letter to which you 
referred. They sent a letter to their Federal counterparts urging us to 
take action in the House. These are Republican legislators from 
California on comprehensive immigration reform. I would like to now 
submit this letter into the Record.
  This letter outlines components of comprehensive reform that most of 
us agree need to be included, that is, the opportunity for undocumented 
residents to earn their way to citizenship.
  Wisely, the California State Republican legislators wrote--and this 
is a quote from their letter:

       There is no policy debate more important to the future of 
     California and of America than passing comprehensive 
     immigration reform.

  I could not agree more.
  Mr. Speaker, my colleagues, it is time that we have the opportunity 
here on the floor of the United States House of Representatives to 
debate and to finally have a vote on comprehensive immigration reform. 
Our country, our economy simply cannot wait any longer.
  Thank you for the time, my colleague from California.
                                                  California State


                                        Republican Legislators

     To: California Republican Congressional Delegation:
     Doug LaMalfa, 1st District
     Tom McClintock, 4th District
     Paul Cook, 8th District
     Jeff Denham, 10th District
     David Valadao, 21st District
     Devin Nunes, 22nd District
     Kevin McCarthy, 23rd District
     Buck McKeon, 25th District
     Gary Miller, 31st District
     Ed Royce, 39th District
     Ken Calvert, 42nd District
     John Campbell, 45th District
     Dana Rohrabacher, 48th District
     Darrell Issa, 49th District
     Duncan Hunter, 50th District
       We, the undersigned California State legislative 
     Republicans, strongly support federal comprehensive 
     immigration reform and urge our state Republican 
     Congressional delegation to encourage Speaker John Boehner to 
     call a vote on immigration reform.
       Components should include thoughtful and strong border 
     security, employer sanctions, and opportunity for 
     undocumented residents to earn their way to full citizenship, 
     but only behind those who have applied to become citizens 
     through the current citizenship process.
       There is no policy debate more important to the future of 
     California and America than passing comprehensive immigration 
     reform. By providing legal clarity to the status of millions 
     of people in California, we can spur an economic renaissance, 
     solidify families, and create an entirely new population of 
     full taxpayers, many of whom who have strong entrepreneurial 
     and work ethics.
       We stand with the business community, the labor community, 
     farmers, manufacturers, communities of faith, and most 
     importantly Californians, in our call for Congress to act on 
     reform this year to put this challenge behind us as a state 
     and nation. We strongly urge House Republicans to demand a 
     vote.
       While some members in Congress may not support the 
     legislation, every member deserves the opportunity to vote. 
     We understand that members have divergent views on reform, 
     but this is the time to address the many serious issues 
     immigrants and their employers face every day.
       This group of Republican legislators is asking our friends 
     in business, labor and agriculture, who work with these 
     immigrants in their fields, homes and factories every day to 
     join us in asking Congressional Leaders to ``Call the Vote.''
       Respectfully,
       Senator Anthony Cannella, SD 12; Senator Steve Knight, SD 
     21; Senator Bill Emmerson, SD 27; Senator Tom Berryhill, SD 
     14.
       Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway, AD 26; 
     Assemblymember Jeff Gorell, AD 44; Assemblymember Kristin 
     Olsen, AD 12; Assemblymember Rocky Chavez, AD 76; 
     Assemblymember Katcho Achadjian, AD 35; Assemblymember Jim 
     Patterson, AD 23; Assemblymember Allan Mansoor, AD 74; 
     Assemblymember Don Wagner, AD 68; Assemblymember Brian 
     Maienschein, AD 77; Assemblymember Eric Linder, AD 60; 
     Assemblymember Brian Dahle, AD 1.

  Mr. CARDENAS. Thank you very much, Congresswoman Capps.
  I now yield to Dr. Raul Ruiz, who represents the southern part of 
California, to express some of his understanding of why comprehensive 
immigration reform is good for America and good for Americans.
  Mr. RUIZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the good gentleman from California, 
Congressman Cardenas.
  Immigrants from all over the world have made tremendous contributions 
to our society and our economy since the birth of our Nation. Our 
immigrant families are an invaluable part of our country.
  For far too long, Congress has failed to act on a comprehensive plan 
for immigration reform.
  I believe that any immigration reform plan would be bipartisan, 
secure our borders, uphold the immigration laws we already have, 
protect our workers and businesses, and include a pathway to 
citizenship for those who work hard and play by the rules.
  Passing a commonsense comprehensive immigration reform bill would 
lead to an economic boom in the Coachella Valley and across the 
country.
  Nonpartisan, independent studies have shown that comprehensive 
immigration reform will reduce the deficit by nearly $850 billion over 
the next 20 years and reduce our Federal debt. It will also increase 
economic growth and strengthen our economy by expanding our labor 
force, increasing investment, and increasing overall productivity. It 
will also provide a significant boost to our tourism and agriculture 
sectors, two of the top industries in my district in the Coachella 
Valley.
  In the Coachella Valley, tourism industries will benefit 
substantially from some of the provisions in the bipartisan Senate 
bill, like the Visa Waiver Program. Additionally, our U.S. agriculture 
output and exports will grow once our farmers have access to the stable 
workforce they need.
  Comprehensive immigration reform means more jobs and more opportunity 
for people in my district and across the country, but only if we act.
  I stand ready to work with both Democrats and Republicans toward a 
comprehensive immigration system that is rooted in common sense. It is 
time to put aside the political games and work together in a bipartisan 
effort to address this critical challenge.
  Thank you, Congressman Cardenas, for this session.
  Mr. CARDENAS. Thank you so much, Congressman Ruiz.
  Before I call up our next Congressman from Florida, I'd like to share 
a story with everyone, Mr. Speaker, about economics and innovation.
  Cesar Millan was born in 1969 in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. He grew 
up working with animals on his grandfather's farm in Sinaloa.
  Young Millan crossed the border in the U.S. without a visa at the age 
of 21. He spoke no English and did not know anyone in this country. He 
first worked in a dog grooming store working with the most aggressive 
dogs that nobody else would want to work with.
  Mr. Millan became a permanent resident in the year 2000. He was 
focused on rehabilitating especially aggressive dogs and founded the 
Dog Psychology Center in south Los Angeles, and he held that center 
there from 2002 to 2009, which, in fact, was a business.
  He started a television series, ``The Dog Whisperer with Cesar 
Millan,'' which was broadcast in more than 80 countries around the 
world between 2004 and 2012. The show became National Geographic's 
number one show during its first season.
  Starting in January 2013, Cesar Millan has hosted another series, 
``Cesar Millan's Leader of the Pack.'' Cesar Millan has written three 
books, all of which became New York Times bestsellers. In 2009, Cesar 
Millan launched ``Cesar's Way'' magazine in the United States and 
Canada, which combines advice from Cesar and articles about 
relationships between dogs and humans. It is the number one selling dog 
magazine in North America.

[[Page H5647]]

                              {time}  2045

  In 2007, Cesar and Ilusion Millan created the Cesar and Ilusion 
Millan Foundation, a not-for-profit to aid and support the rescue, 
rehabilitation, and placement of abused and abandoned dogs. Cesar 
Millan has also supported other projects, including K-9 Connection for 
at-risk teens, Pups on Parole for inmates, and It Gets Better that 
supports at-risk LGBT youth as well.
  I was present in 2009--and it was a proud moment for me and a proud 
moment for Cesar Millan and his family--when he raised his hand and was 
sworn in as a United States citizen in 2009 in Los Angeles, California. 
And I can tell you, his efforts and his contributions to this great 
Nation go much further.
  While watching television, my wife, Norma, looked at the TV and she 
said, You know what, Tony? You need to meet Cesar Millan. He looks like 
a good man, and he looks like somebody who can help you create good 
legislation for the city of Los Angeles, when I was on the city council 
of Los Angeles.
  So I invited him to my office, and immediately he said he'd be more 
than happy to help me. And as a result of that one meeting, he helped 
me create the first spay and neuter program in the largest city in the 
United States of America. Now it's the model for cities around the 
country. And it was his advice and his expertise that allowed me to do 
that.
  Los Angeles, for over 20 years, had not prosecuted one person for 
cruelty to animals, and it was Cesar Millan who urged me that we need 
to put an end to that. And with that, in Los Angeles, I was able to 
pass an ordinance that created an animal cruelty task force. And today, 
we have prosecuted over 200 individuals with felony charges for cruelty 
to animals.
  Basically what I'm saying is it was an undocumented immigrant who 
came to this country who taught me, an American-born citizen, how I can 
take my craft as an elected official to a level that had never been 
done before. And it's that kind of example that I believe we have 
example after example after example in this country that immigrants who 
come to this country, documented or undocumented, seize the opportunity 
of the atmosphere that we've created in this great country. And they 
are tremendous contributors not only to our economy, but to good 
legislation and making our communities a better place.
  And now I would like to invite to speak a few words Congressman Joe 
Garcia from Florida to share what his perspective on comprehensive 
immigration reform means to this country and why it's so important to 
our great Nation.
  Mr. GARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I have the great opportunity to come from a 
community that, in large part, has been built by immigrants. I am the 
son of refugees to this great country. And here's what we know:
  We know that immigrants add to America's way of life; they create 
more opportunity for all; they make our country better; they make 
American citizens richer.
  Here's what we know:
  We know that in the next 10 years, if we find a pathway for 
legalization, over $100 billion of additional capital will be added to 
our country. What we know is that in the next 20 years, that will be 
over $870 billion. In fact, what we know is that they will almost 
provide $1 trillion of economic growth over the next 20 years.
  It's important to understand that immigrants bolster our country, 
make our country better, and they add to it.
  I lived in south Florida during very tough times for immigrants. I 
remember, as a young man, seeing bumper stickers on the back of cars 
that said, ``Would the last American leaving Miami please bring the 
flag.'' What I know is that the flag still flies high in Miami. It is a 
leading beacon for work and opportunity in our country because people 
didn't give up on the dream of our country. They continued to work and 
they continued to make a difference.
  And that is exactly what we have to understand is that immigrants 
bolster our country. They bolster America's private sector by consuming 
more goods, more services, providing increased income. All this, in 
turn, creates more jobs and greater income for all Americans.
  What we know is that by 2022, over 820,000 more workers will be 
created because of the need, $321 billion of increased income for all 
Americans. The GDP increases by $568 billion if all noncitizens, 
undocumented and those illegal residents in the country, were to be 
legalized. This is a boon for our country. It creates opportunity. It 
makes for a better America.
  I thank the gentleman from California for doing this because of 
course what he's doing is trying to save this country, to make it 
better. There has never been a great country, a great nation in the 
history of the world that was shedding citizens. In fact, all great 
countries welcome opportunity. They welcome those who come to provide.
  We need a comprehensive immigration system not only because we need 
more workers, but we need the intellectual capital that they bring. We 
need that drive, that vigor that they add to our country. And the fight 
for comprehensive immigration reform is one that makes all Americans 
better, makes our country richer, and makes opportunity for all, 
creating the motto that lives in our country.
  So again, I want to thank the gentleman from California for his 
efforts. I know he's one of many in the House. And what we do know is 
that if a bill came to this floor, it would have majority support. The 
Senate passed it, and this House could pass it if the leadership would 
allow it to get to the floor.
  More than enough of the Members of this Chamber understand the 
benefits of immigration, understand that it is necessary for our 
country's greatness, and understand that it is what we will do 
inevitably. Let's do it now. Let's do it right. Let's get it done.
  Mr. CARDENAS. Thank you, Congressman Garcia. I really appreciate that 
perspective and your sharing with America those perspectives.
  I would like to share another story of someone that I'm friends with 
and someone who has a business in my district and also lives in my 
district.
  Alonso Arellano was born in 1966 in Tijuana, Mexico. He came to 
America when he was 10 years old with his mother and stepdad and 
brother. His family settled in Huntington Park, California, where his 
father worked at a factory job and his mother sold goods to make some 
extra money. He had to withdraw from high school in the 10th grade 
because of the family's economic hardships and began working to help 
support his family. But he had a passion for learning and was 
determined to get an education, so he completed high school by taking 
night classes while working full-time, and went on to take courses at a 
junior college to continue his education.
  In 1986, he got married. And when he found out his wife was pregnant 
a couple of years later, he began to reevaluate his life and what he 
was going to do next for his family. So he joined the United States Air 
Force in 1988, where he won the Airman of the Quarter Award three 
times, received a commendation medal, and graduated from training with 
honors. He was granted the permission to take classes at Eastern New 
Mexico University nearby the base where he was stationed, and he 
eventually earned a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree 
in mathematics.
  After the war, Alonso applied for and was granted U.S. citizenship, 
which opened the door for his future career. When he left the military 
in 1994, he began training at UCLA to become a radiation medical 
physicist while working part time at UCLA at a cancer research center. 
He currently works as a radiation medical physicist at a private 
hospital. In addition to that, he owns and runs a restaurant called 
Rocio's Mole de los Dioses. And right now, he's planning on opening up 
another business, creating jobs for Americans, creating jobs in our 
community, our corner of America.
  I think it's important for people to understand that immigrants have 
such an insatiable appetite to appreciate their surroundings, 
appreciate their opportunities, just like Alonso, who had to get out of 
school at the 10th grade, who worked full-time, went to night school to 
get his education, went on to get a bachelor's degree, a master's 
degree, and now is contributing in a health care facility for patients 
with cancer, who is actually contributing by opening several businesses 
where he employs American citizens.

[[Page H5648]]

  I want to thank my colleagues for joining me tonight on this floor to 
share the stories of truth and the stories about how important 
comprehensive immigration reform is to the economy of America. Once 
again, 82,000 more jobs if we allow these new Americans to become 
citizens, $568 billion more growth in GDP to the United States economy 
if we allow them to become citizens, $75 billion more in revenue to 
local States and governments if we allow them to become citizens, $321 
billion of growth in dollars in the pockets of American families that 
will be spent throughout our communities in America.
  As I close, I would like to thank NALEO, NCLR, and countless other 
businesses, chambers, labor, civil rights, religious, and law 
enforcement organizations, individuals who are continuing to push for 
the truth, to push Congress to please have comprehensive immigration 
reform meet the floor of both Houses so we can reconcile this, fix our 
broken immigration system, and put it on the desk of the President of 
the United States, and we will see an economic boon that this country 
has not seen for decades.
  Americans deserve for us to operate in these Chambers the way we 
should, to put aside the partisan bickering, to look at the economic 
benefit of every community in our country, to do the right thing, to 
live the spirit of what the United States of America portends to be 
around the world. We need to start at home and realize that we have 11 
million hardworking people in this country who are doing the toughest 
jobs, changing the diapers of our children, working in the kitchens of 
every nice, wonderful restaurant in America, people who are working 
with our grandparents to help them live a better life. Many of those 
individuals deserve the opportunity to come out of the shadows, and not 
only come out of the shadows, but to contribute to this great Nation 
with more economics that we need to see. We have an ailing economy, 
ladies and gentlemen. And with that, Mr. Speaker, we will see growth in 
America. We will see more Americans go to work if we do the right thing 
and pass comprehensive immigration reform.
  Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's been a wonderful hour of truth and 
message to the American people, and I hope and pray that in these 
Chambers we have the opportunity to vote for comprehensive immigration 
reform.
  I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________