[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 144 (Thursday, September 7, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H7095-H7096]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CONDEMNING PRESIDENT TRUMP'S DECISION TO END DACA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Ms. Kelly) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. KELLY of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to condemn in the 
strongest possible terms the President's decision to end the Deferred 
Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA.
  This issue should be very simple. These are children who were brought 
here by their parents, through no fault of their own. They grew up with 
our kids, attended the same schools, played on the same playgrounds, 
and learned to drive in our neighborhoods. These kids are Americans in 
their hearts and in their minds, just not on paper, yet.
  Beyond that, my faith, my conscience, my understanding of basic 
economics prevents me from supporting this cruel and inhumane decision 
by President Trump.
  If we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, we must remember that 
we, too, were once strangers in a strange land. Many of us have our own 
immigrant stories, stories of how we became Americans.
  My family's story begins like many of yours. My great-grandfather, 
Metro, was born in Austria in 1881, and my great-grandmother, Margaret 
Skrutt, was born in Ukraine in 1882. They got married and knew that 
they could find a better life in America; so, in 1906, they took a 
chance and came to America, arriving on November 1, 1906.

  They settled in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, because other 
Ukrainians already lived there. They joined the community, worked hard,

[[Page H7096]]

went to church, raised a family of Americans, including my grandmother, 
Anna Guryesh.
  My great-grandparents' story is the story of America. It is the story 
of immigration and immigrant families dreaming of a better life and 
making America great.
  It is the same story repeated 24 years later when Mary Anne McLeod 
boarded the Transylvania in Glasgow on May 2, 1930. Nine days later, 
she arrived in New York with $50 in her pocket. Eighty-six years later, 
her son was elected President of the United States of America.
  At the age of seven, a young woman left Cuba, fleeing communism. In 
1989, she became the first Latina elected to Congress, and it is a 
privilege to serve with her.
  Melania Knavs was born in Slovenia. She first became a permanent 
resident, and then a citizen of the United States. This young lady, 
born in southeastern Slovenia, now lives in northwest D.C. as the First 
Lady of the United States of America.
  Daniel, one of my constituents who I helped with his DACA status: He 
works hard, pays his taxes, loves this country, his country, as much as 
any other American.
  So many great Americans are Americans by choice, not by birth. This 
has made America the greatest, strongest, wealthiest country in the 
world. We can attract the best, the brightest, the most driven and the 
most talented.
  People like Dr. Elizabeth Stern was born in Kansas, but, in 1915, 
became an American. She drove forward our ability to detect and treat 
cancer.

                              {time}  1045

  Author Ayn Rand, a favorite of the Speaker, was born in 1905 in 
Russia, and came to the United States in 1926.
  Actress Natalie Portman, born in 1981 in Jerusalem, came to the U.S. 
as a toddler.
  Alonso Guillen was born in Mexico but died last week as an American 
hero working to save lives during Hurricane Harvey.
  At the last Olympics, Americans born in places like Australia, Kenya, 
and Poland brought home nine medals, including two gold for the United 
States.
  Their stories are all the same. They came to America seeking a better 
life and a better future. They contributed to our society and our 
culture. They made America great.
  Margaret and Metro's story is America's story. America's story is 
Mary Anne's story and Daniel's story. This is the story of us, the 
story of America. It is a story that no President's pen can erase. 
America's story is Melania's, Ayn's, and the story of Albert. We are 
America, and we are here to stay. No matter where you were born, we are 
America, and we are here to stay. No matter what language you speak to 
your mom in, we are America, and we are here to stay. We are America, 
and we are here to stay because America's story is our story.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from 
engaging in personalities toward the President.

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