[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 171 (Wednesday, December 4, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H7503-H7506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           IMMIGRATION REFORM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Walorski). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of January 3, 2013, the Chair recognizes the gentleman 
from Colorado (Mr. Polis) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. POLIS. Madam Speaker, I am here today, unfortunately, to talk 
about the continuing inaction of this body on immigration reform. It 
has been 159 days since the Senate passed a commonsense immigration 
reform bill securing our borders, creating jobs for Americans, 
restoring the rule of law, requiring employment verification, uniting 
families. And this body has failed to act.
  The House's failure to act on immigration reform has already cost our 
economy over $6 billion. Today, Madam Speaker, I want to talk about the 
human cost as well.
  In the week following the Thanksgiving holidays, I want to recognize 
those individuals that are suffering because of our inaction, families 
that are torn apart, immigrant workers so critical for our economic 
success, living in the United States, who even helped put our 
Thanksgiving dinners on the table this year.
  I want to begin by telling the inspiring story of a Capitol Hill 
staffer, sadly, a former Capitol Hill staffer, Erika Andiola. I had the 
opportunity to meet Erika and her mother today, and I hope that her 
story will inspire this body to finally reform our broken immigration 
system.
  Erika wrote this letter to many of her friends, including some of 
your staffers, Madam Speaker, just the other day about why she is 
leaving:

       Dear friends, today is my last day on the Hill. While 
     ``last day on the job emails'' are customary, I wanted to 
     share the unfortunate reason I am leaving. A few days ago, I 
     informed my boss I would be leaving my job on Capitol Hill to 
     return home to Mesa, Arizona, and fight against efforts to 
     deport my mother.
       After a year as a congressional staffer, during the push to 
     bring millions of people out of the shadows in the U.S., I am 
     now needed most as a daughter to my mother.
       In many ways, my life represents a broad spectrum of 
     experience for undocumented young people in our country. I am 
     facing the most painful aspect of the record-setting 
     deportations of the Obama Administration: family separation 
     by deportation.
       My home was raided by ICE on the same date I began my work 
     in Congress. The raid stemmed from a traffic stop. While ICE 
     is supposed to prioritize deportations for violent crimes, 
     they decided to go after my mother, who has never committed a 
     violent crime.
       Families being separated is nothing new. The administration 
     is currently nearing the 2 million deportation mark. Behind 
     that number is an even larger number of families, like my 
     family, being left behind.

  I had the opportunity to meet Erika Andiola and her mother earlier 
today, and I can tell you we will miss her service in this body for the 
Member she worked for. She has her legal status, thanks to President 
Obama's Deferred Action program, or DACA, that allows her the paperwork 
to work, again a result of the inaction of this body, that the 
Executive had to take action, with the limited authority he has, to at 
least give a temporary reprise to Erika. But no such help for her 
mother.
  And who among us wouldn't, if forced to choose between our job and 
our family, who wouldn't choose our family?
  As Erika returns home to Arizona, I wish her and her mother well and 
good luck in ensuring that they can stay together in a country that I 
hope values families, just as it valued Erika's service to her country 
as a congressional staffer.
  I encourage everyone to share Erika's story and to get involved at 
keepustogether.org to help keep Erika's family together.
  Our inaction on immigration reform has also impacted our immigrant 
workforce, a critical part of our economy. Roughly 16 percent of all 
workers in the U.S. are foreign born, in diverse sectors from 
agriculture to information technology to hospitality to self-employed 
entrepreneurs.
  As the Aspen Institute's November series of ``Working in America'' 
noted, the experience of immigrant workers varies significantly. Some 
achieve great success, while others are employed in low-paying and 
substandard working conditions.
  In my State of Colorado, according to the 2011 census, over 11 
percent of our workforce is comprised of immigrants. Among them, 
unauthorized immigrants comprise nearly 5 percent of Colorado's 
workforce. That is according to a study by the Perryman Group.
  If we were to remove unauthorized immigrants from Colorado tomorrow, 
our State, my State, would lose $8 billion in economic activity, $3.6 
billion in gross state product, and it would cost our State almost 
40,000 jobs for Americans that would be destroyed if we didn't have the 
people that are in Colorado today already working and simply lack a 
legal way to do that that only this body can fix.
  Nationwide, the millions of undocumented immigrant workers are often 
marginalized and exploited. In many cases, they have harvested our 
Thanksgiving dinners. They have harvested our onions, packed our 
tomatoes, perhaps cleaned your hotel room, Madam Speaker, or mine, 
washed our dishes.
  Yet, their immigration status means that when unscrupulous employers 
try to take advantage, they often lack a voice to stand up for stable 
and fair working conditions or to report crimes.
  Undocumented workers around our country engage in difficult, 
dangerous work under the harsh conditions. They often live in fear of 
detention or deportation.

                              {time}  1900

  Consider the example of a worker in Nashville who, while cleaning the 
restaurant where she was employed, cut herself, yet her managers 
refused for 4 hours to take her to the hospital. Even after receiving 
medical treatment, her employer refused to pay any of the costs for an 
employment-related injury. And the injury caused her a permanent 
handicap, with limited mobility in her hand.
  Or consider the case of Raul, a North Carolina farmworker who lacks 
documentation. Raul shares a room and dirty and freezing bathrooms and 
showers with six others. Raul rises every day to provide for his family 
and give them the life he never had. Because his family is in another 
country, he hasn't seen his children in 5 years and misses them 
terribly, but his immigration status prevents him from even visiting 
his family back home and being able to return to his job here.
  Or consider the case of Guadalupe Hernandez, a returned migrant and 
former undocumented farmworker who came to the U.S. at the age of 12 
and has been back and forth three times since. Guadalupe endures 
working for 12 to 14 hours a day at minimum wage in order to provide 
for schooling for her five children.
  So while Congress is working 113 days next session, 113 days next 
year--that is how much we will be here. I sure hope it is enough time 
to reform our immigration system. So while Congress is working 113 
days, the average undocumented farmworker's workload

[[Page H7504]]

is close to 200 days a year squeezed into 36 weeks of seasonal work, 
working double shifts to be able to put food on our tables for 
Thanksgiving.
  While Congress works an average of 3 days per week and Members of 
Congress earn $3,500 a week, undocumented workers work 53 hours a week 
at an average salary of $318 a week.
  In the time it takes Congress to hold our first vote in a series of 
votes--15 minutes, how long it takes people to come here and cast their 
vote--the average immigrant worker has picked four 30-pound buckets of 
grapes.
  Our current immigration system has allowed the situation to persist 
and worsen. The current system lacks a pathway to citizenship without a 
family member who is already a U.S. citizen or permanent legal 
resident. Even legal guest workers under our current immigration laws 
are subject to workplace abuse, are poorly paid, often risk having 
their identity documents seized, and often live in reprehensible living 
conditions.
  H-2 guest workers, low-skilled seasonal jobs, are bound to employers 
who hire them and can't even search for other work. They are often 
overloaded with debt because of the fees that recruiters charge to 
bring them from their own country and arrange for transportation.
  Comprehensive immigration reform would protect American workers by 
preventing unauthorized immigrants from undermining wage and safety 
laws and protecting U.S. workers' rights.
  H.R. 15, the bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill I am 
proud to have helped introduce in the House, would provide relief and 
help to all workers. The bill is similar to the Senate's immigration 
reform bill that passed with more than two-thirds of the Senate 
support, including agriculture, business, labor, tech, and many others 
in a broad-based coalition.
  We are joined here on the floor by a champion of immigration reform, 
a Member of the House from the great State of California. It is my 
honor to yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Cardenas).
  Mr. CARDENAS. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Madam Speaker, I want to just explain some facts to my fellow 
Americans. I want to remind us that immigrants contribute tremendously 
to our economy as workers, taxpayers, and consumers. But despite their 
contributions, immigrants face exploitation and significant barriers to 
advancement in our country. When we look at how important immigrants 
are to our economy, it comes as no surprise that when we help 
immigrants succeed, we help our economy succeed.
  And one of the things I want everybody to remember, as I speak for 
the next few minutes, is that at any given time in our great Nation's 
history, somebody in your ancestry was treated less-than. There was a 
time where if you were of Irish descent, you were treated badly; if you 
were Russian, you were treated badly; if you were Chinese, you were 
treated badly; if you were Eastern European, you were treated unfairly.
  Unfortunately, what we have had in our country are phases where one 
particular person who looks a certain way--and especially when you 
think after 9/11--that people are treated differently. And the problem 
that I have with that is that that is not the America I was born into, 
and that is not the America that I want to represent, and that is not 
the America that is going to make this country prosper.
  Immigrants make up a critical component of the American labor force. 
Immigrants accounted for nearly one-half of the U.S. labor force growth 
since the mid-1990s. Immigrants contribute to innovation, business 
creation, and job creation. Immigrants are more likely than native-born 
Americans to start their own businesses.
  Immigrant-owned businesses employed 4.7 million Americans in 2007 
alone. In 2011, immigrant businesses were estimated to generate $775 
billion in revenue, $125 billion in payroll, and $100 billion in 
income.
  Immigrants also help to slow the aging of our labor force and the 
corresponding economic burdens that come with that.
  Immigrants make up a critical component of America's agricultural 
industry, in particular. That is what brought my father to this 
country. He worked in the fields in the Central Valley of California so 
that my mother could stay home and raise, eventually, the 11 children 
that they had together. About 77 percent of the farmworker labor force 
is foreign-born, like my father, and at least one-half of the 
farmworkers are undocumented.
  Farmworker work is one of the most hazardous occupations in our 
country and in the world, and many of these jobs would go unfilled 
without immigrant workers.
  That is another thing that my father wanted for me. He worked in the 
fields tirelessly. His hands would bleed so that we, Americans, could 
have fresh fruits and vegetables on our table. But he dreamed that his 
children, American-born children, could actually go to college and 
surpass his dreams, as he only had a first grade education in the 
country that he came from.
  With the help of immigrant farmworkers in America, the value of U.S. 
agricultural exports rose 2.5 times between 1989 and 2009, and exports 
of high-value agricultural products, including fruits and vegetables, 
more than tripled.
  America, it is really important for us to understand, when we don't 
welcome those hardworking immigrants to be part of our integrated 
workforce, what happens is that places like Argentina, who would love 
to compete with us, they laugh at us, and they say, We will sell you 
our products. We will sell you our oranges and vegetables. They are 
pretty good, but they are not American-made.
  Immigrants contribute to our economy through taxes. The State and 
local taxes paid in 2010 alone by households headed by undocumented 
immigrants was over $11 billion. And this is according to the Institute 
on Taxation and Economic Policy. Undocumented immigrants contributed as 
much as $13 billion in payroll taxes to the Social Security program in 
2010 but only took $1 billion in benefits, creating a net positive 
effect on our Social Security system that benefits Americans, and this 
is according to the Social Security Administration.

  Despite their contributions, immigrants face exploitation and 
significant barriers to advancement; and again, that is not the America 
we should feel proud of.
  We have an opportunity to pass comprehensive immigration reform in 
this great country on this floor. All we need is the opportunity to put 
a bill up for a vote. And I believe that the majority of Members of 
this House will do the righteous thing, the right thing, and welcome 
those immigrants and integrate them into our system; and we will see 
the economy of the United States of America flourish once again like we 
all want it to, like we hope it should, and how we all deserve to see 
happen.
  For example, immigrants of legal status earn 10 percent more than 
those who are undocumented, again, boosting the economy. Comprehensive 
immigration reform would allow immigrant students--DREAMers, as some of 
us call them--to gain a greater earning boost as more are able to 
attend college and become productive members of our labor force. 
Comprehensive labor reform would allow undocumented entrepreneurs the 
ability to expand their businesses and hire American citizens.
  When we look at how important immigrants are to our economy, it comes 
as no surprise that when we help immigrants succeed, America succeeds. 
Our country is built on the backs of immigrants from Europe, from 
Africa, from the Americas, from Canada, from every part of this world. 
We are the country where dreams come true. We are the country where 
freedom rings true.
  But right now, 11 million human beings do not enjoy those freedoms, 
yet they are here toiling, working, and we are benefiting from that. 
And that is a shame. We are better than that, America. We deserve an 
opportunity to see this legislative body vote on comprehensive 
immigration reform.
  And I will say it once again: If we don't do it because it is just 
the right thing to do, let's do it for the selfish reason that it will 
boost the economy of the United States of America more than we have 
seen in over 50 years.
  Mr. POLIS. One of the ways that H.R. 15 was actually brought to the 
floor of the House and introduced was by the chief sponsor of the bill. 
The gentleman from Florida, in his short time

[[Page H7505]]

in the House, has made an enormous impression, and particularly in 
pushing for comprehensive immigration reform.
  H.R. 15, which is very similar to the Senate bill--and if we were to 
pass it in this body, it would be able to be ratified with the changes 
and sent to the President's desk--continues to gain support in this 
body. And I am happy to yield to its principal author, the gentleman 
from Florida (Mr. Garcia).
  Mr. GARCIA. I thank the gentleman from Florida.
  Madam Speaker, I don't know of any other district in the United 
States that more clearly shows the economic contributions of immigrants 
than my own. You see it everywhere, from the languages spoken on the 
street to the diverse businesses on every corner.
  Miami is a town built by immigrants. It is a perfect example of what 
happens when, instead of forcing people to live in the shadows, you 
welcome immigrants and you allow them to work and become valued members 
of the community.
  Over the last 50 years, south Florida has seen unprecedented growth 
and has become the gateway to Latin America and its economy. None of 
this--none of this--would be possible without the hard work of 
immigrants who came to my community searching for the American Dream, 
just like my parents did. I would like to share a few of their stories.
  Jose lives in Homestead. It is an area in my district that produces 
nearly half of the winter vegetables consumed in the entire United 
States. He came to this country in 1986 and, despite his best efforts, 
was unable to gain status. Even after suffering from a workplace 
accident that resulted in his finger being amputated and another in 
which he injured his back and arm, he still wakes up every day at 5 
a.m. to do whatever needs to be done on the farm, from cleaning to 
planting to packing. Jose's wife was deported. He is now the primary 
breadwinner for his family. Both of his parents died in Mexico. He was 
unable to say good-bye. Jose does his job, pays his taxes, and serves 
as an advocate and mentor for other farmworkers, but our immigration 
system has done nothing but turn a blind eye to his sacrifice.
  Lourdes started working in the fields at the age of 10, picking 
asparagus, tomatoes, and cucumbers all over the east coast. Despite 
having to drop out of high school because of the work and the constant 
moving, Lourdes eventually was able to complete her social work degree 
20 years after she started, and all of her children have been able to 
go to college. Last year, she was recognized by the White House as a 
champion of change and is now an advocate for the farmworker community 
and is a proud champion of immigration reform.
  And finally, I want to talk about someone who is sitting in the 
gallery, Secia Soza. Until the age of 8, she had always assumed that 
she had been born in the United States, like her brother. While she 
eventually was granted deferred action, both of her parents have been 
deported.

                              {time}  1915

  Neither were criminals. In fact, her father owned a small business.
  There are millions of Joses and Lourdeses and Secias. They grow our 
food, they build our homes, and they care for our families. They often 
work at jobs that no one wants and start businesses that create jobs 
when there were none before and in areas where they are needed most.
  Our Nation would not be the society it is today without the 
generations of immigrants who came to our shores searching for a better 
life. The 11 million undocumented individuals living here today are no 
different. They are American in every way but on paper.
  If we want to secure our economic future, we need to fix our broken 
immigration system in a way that addresses our need for immigrant 
workers and recognizes the incredible sacrifices and hard work that 
immigrants endure.
  Jose, Lourdes, and Secia have waited long enough. The time to pass 
immigration reform is now.
  If the gentleman from Colorado would permit, I also want to recognize 
those folks who labor in my community at this a long time. They spend 
enormous hours and effort trying to pass this. From our communities 
they come here and make a difference. We thank them. Some of them are 
in the audience today. I appreciate their work. Among them, Nora 
Santiago, has done a wonderful job for years, not only in moving the 
issue but in caring for some of these children that get left behind 
when their parents get deported.
  With that, I yield to the gentleman from Colorado.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. All Members are reminded that it is not in 
order to bring to the attention of the House an occupant of the 
gallery.
  Mr. POLIS. Madam Speaker, the gentle people in the gallery, the men 
and women who are spending their time here, would not have to be in 
those galleries advocating if this House simply took up the bill.
  Do you think they want to be spending their time here, Madam Speaker? 
Is that what you think, they want to be spending their time here in the 
gallery, probably traveling at their own expense to Washington?
  And you are saying we are addressing them, and that is what you are 
upset about, Madam Speaker?
  I want you, Madam Speaker, to address the reason that they are here. 
They are here because our government is tearing apart their families, 
Madam Speaker.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Will the gentleman from Colorado understand 
all Members----
  Mr. POLIS. Will the Speaker understand that the Speaker is 
obstructing H.R. 15 from coming to the floor? Will the Speaker 
understand that?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman will suspend.
  Mr. POLIS. Will the Speaker understand that? Will the Speaker 
understand that?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman may proceed.
  Mr. POLIS. Will the Speaker understand that the Speaker is preventing 
H.R. 15 from coming to the floor, and that is why there are men and 
women in the gallery that potentially face deportation and their 
families are being torn apart.
  It is very simple, Madam Speaker. Very simple. We need an immigration 
system that reflects our values as Americans--a Nation of immigrants 
and a Nation of laws. One that creates jobs for Americans; one that 
reduces our deficit by over $200 billion; secures our border; prevents 
terrorists from entering our country so we know who is here; and 
ensures that crimes are reported.
  We can do that, Madam Speaker.
  And I have heard it said that perhaps some prefer to do it piecemeal. 
Let's see what the pieces are and let's have a meal. That is what the 
Thanksgiving spirit is all about. We will be happy to look at the 
pieces. Let's see them.
  In fact, the Judiciary Committee has reported out four bills. Those 
bills aren't perfect, by any means; but through the Rules Committee and 
the amendment process on the floor, I hope that we could potentially 
make them part of a bill. But those four bills have languished.
  In the meantime, other bills that have come through the Judiciary 
Committee, for instance, an asbestos bill, found a fast track to the 
floor. Patent reform, fast track to the floor. Four immigration bills 
passed out of committee. Weeks go by, months ago by, and nobody hears a 
thing.
  Why aren't we considering those bills, Madam Speaker?
  Even I support this patent bill that we will be voting on tomorrow. 
But even from our friends in the tech community, job creators, major 
companies, they like this bill, in many cases. But you know what they 
really want? Immigration reform. They will say, Fine, you helped us out 
finding a few patent trolls. Now get immigration reform done, because 
we will be able to create jobs for Americans.
  That is what we are here for, Madam Speaker: uniting American 
families, creating jobs for Americans.
  We do that, Madam Speaker, by passing H.R. 15, by passing pieces and 
having a meal, however you want to do it. In fact, how about we invite 
our friends from across the aisle, Republicans, to join us here next 
week to talk about immigration reform and a path forward?
  We have been down here every week since the Senate passed 
comprehensive immigration reform demanding the House bring up pieces or 
bring up comprehensive immigration reform, and we

[[Page H7506]]

invite our Republicans friends to discuss this with us.
  There is no Democratic or Republican solution. This takes us working 
together for an American solution. We know that, Madam Speaker. H.R. 15 
is not a Democratic bill or Republican bill. It is a bipartisan bill, 
with principals from both parties. More than two-thirds of the Senate 
support its commonsense approach.
  We can improve upon the pieces and have a meal, or we can pass 
comprehensive immigration reform to reflect our values as Americans and 
create jobs for Americans and protect our borders.
  The longer that we fail to act, the more men and women will have to 
be in these galleries here, Madam Speaker--perhaps against your 
wishes--will have to be fasting; will have to quit their jobs working 
in Congress, like Erika, because her mother is facing deportation.
  Is that the America we want when we look at ourselves in the mirror?
  Madam Speaker, is that what we are proud of as Americans? Is that our 
values? Are we proud that a young, talented staff person like Erika, 
working on behalf of her country for her Congresswoman here in the 
United States Capitol has to quit her own job because our own 
government is deporting her own mother, who hasn't committed any 
criminal or violent crime? It might have cost the taxpayers tens of 
thousands of dollars for deportation and at the cost of tearing a 
family apart and preventing Erika from offering all that she had to 
give to our great country.
  We can do better, Madam Speaker. We can do better by the handful of 
people in this gallery and the millions of families across this country 
that are demanding action now, and the hundreds of million--yes, every 
American man, woman, and child who stands to benefit by immediate 
action here in the House of Representatives.
  I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________