[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 24, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H857-H858]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  BROAD AND DIVERSE SEGMENT OF VOTERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Gutierrez) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GUTIERREZ. Mr. Speaker, I am not here to give a political speech. 
This is not the right venue for that. But I would like to share some 
observations I have about visiting Nevada last week.
  The first observation is that among a broad and diverse segment of 
voters, there is a great deal of excitement about the political 
process. It almost doesn't matter which candidate people prefer or even 
which party, there is so much enthusiasm to participate.
  In Nevada, the form of participation is the caucus, and it requires a 
greater time commitment than simply punching a ballot at your local 
precinct. Yet, I witnessed thousands of people who were taking hours 
away from their jobs, at their own expense in many cases, to 
participate in that process.
  You can't come away from that kind of activity and not be inspired 
that Americans are taking their right to vote, their opinions about who 
should be the next nominee of their party or the next President very 
seriously. It was really remarkable.
  Still, there were some people I spoke with who could not afford to 
take hours away from their jobs, some because they couldn't get 
permission and others because they simply could not afford to give up a 
couple of hours of wages, clock out to vote, even when it means not 
having your vote count.
  Las Vegas, where I was, is a 24/7 working city; and for many, 
Saturday is the busiest day of the week, especially for tips.
  This election year, as we travel around our districts or campaign in 
other States, I hope my colleagues in both parties will really examine 
how local governments and States are facilitating or disenfranchising 
American citizens who are eligible to vote.
  In Nevada, participation in a caucus at a set time of the day with 
little or no flexibility serves almost like a poll tax for hourly 
workers. Voters have to weigh the power of their vote against dollars 
that would not be in their pockets if they exercise that vote.
  If you can vote, you should vote, and we should make sure that the 
laws of our Nation and our communities encourage rather than discourage 
the participation of every citizen.
  Another striking observation I made over the weekend was the 
diversity of the American electorate: women and men, straight and gay, 
U.S.-born and naturalized, old and young, working class, retired, 
students, military, executives. Nevada put on a display of how much 
progress our Nation has made in a few decades.
  I saw the energy and the determination of young voters, new voters, 
newly 18, newly citizens, newly engaged in the political process. 
Everywhere I have traveled, including the high schools in my district 
in Illinois, I see 17- and 18-year-old Latinos anxious and eager to 
participate, and they are motivated to register and vote and inspired 
by their candidates and their parties.
  Today, tomorrow, and every day for decades about 2,000 U.S.-born 
Latino citizens of the United States will turn 18 and be eligible to 
vote. Every day, 2,000 of them turn 18, and they are eager to get 
involved.
  There is a similar energy in the people I meet who are applying for 
citizenship. There are over 8 million immigrants with green cards who 
are eligible to apply for citizenship right now. And with fee waivers 
for those with limited funds, many of them can apply for free. And they 
are applying in droves.
  This coming Saturday, I will be at a workshop in Denver, Colorado, 
for people learning about the process and applying for citizenship.
  A coalition of groups led by the National Partnership for New 
Americans but also encompassing Mi Familia Vota, a range of labor 
unions, and advocacy groups large and small across 30 States have 
invited me to participate in this nonpartisan activity to promote civic 
engagement and citizenship in immigrant communities across this 
country. Their goal is to help 1 million eligible immigrants become 
citizens so they can vote in primaries and general elections this year 
and make sure they are at America's table.
  In communities like Denver and Chicago, there is a hunger for 
citizenship despite all the barriers, despite the

[[Page H858]]

costs, and despite the anti-immigrant tone coming from our TVs and 
candidates. In fact, it is the anti-immigrant tone that people tell me 
over and over is what is motivating them to apply, study for the tests, 
and better their English.
  It is that energy that gives me great confidence in our Nation and in 
the direction our Nation is heading this year.
  Immigrants are a part of a growing American coalition of working 
class voters: women, straight people and LGBT, environmentalists, 
Latino, Asians, Black, White, old and young, Muslim and Christians, 
Jewish and agnostic. They are coming together and mobilizing.
  Together, even as some politicians push them away and try to divide 
up with suspicions of our fellow Americans, together, their diversity 
and dedication to democracy is a beautiful thing to witness.

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