[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 149 (Thursday, September 14, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H7387]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   LET'S TRY AND MAKE AMERICA FAIRER

  (Mr. SUOZZI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. SUOZZI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the passage of 
the Dream Act, and I request my Democratic and Republican colleagues to 
stand together to try and address this very important issue in our 
country.
  The issue of undocumented immigrants has been plaguing this country 
for almost 30 years now, going back to the 1980s, when people flowed 
over in the thousands from El Salvador during the death squads and the 
civil wars during that time.
  As the mayor of the city of Glen Cove back in the 1990s, we dealt 
with this issue in my city, on one side people saying, ``Get those 
people out of here,'' on the other side people saying, ``They are just 
trying to live the American Dream like your father did.'' My father 
emigrated from Italy. I am a first-generation American. ``They are just 
trying to live the American Dream like your family did, trying to work 
hard and live a better life here in this country.''
  When dealing with these difficult questions, we have to rely on the 
fundamental principles of this country, namely, that all men and women 
are created equal--not all men and women with a green card or all men 
and women with a passport, but all men and women are created equal and 
are entitled to be treated with human respect and dignity.
  When looking at the DREAMers, we are talking about people who came to 
this country under 17 years of age, who have lived a productive life, 
who have either graduated from high school or received a GED and have 
now either gone to college or are serving in the military or have been 
working for the past 3 years and have no criminal background.
  Let's try and make this country fairer. Let's try and make ourselves 
the model for the rest of the world to follow and lift up these people 
who are productive members of our community.

                          ____________________