[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 12 (Friday, January 19, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H558]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ON DACA AND DREAMERS
(Ms. VELAZQUEZ asked and was given permission to address the House
for 1 minute.)
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, as Republicans demonstrate their
inability to fund the Federal Government, 700,000 young people are left
with an uncertain future. These DREAMers exemplify what is best about
America. They have served in our military. They have built businesses
and contributed to our communities.
This administration has waged an all-out assault on these young
people, placing them in jeopardy and sowing fear that they will be sent
back to countries that they do not even know. And now Republicans in
Congress are turning their back on these young people as well.
We could have passed a fix to this problem as part of a government
funding bill. That would have been a bipartisan solution, and it would
have been supported by the vast majority of the American people.
Eighty-seven percent of Americans say DREAMers should be allowed to
stay in the United States, yet President Trump is holding these young
people hostage for a useless and offensive border wall. This is
unconscionable.
We have a moral obligation to act. Congress needs to stay here and
have an open vote on a clean DREAM Act. That is our moral obligation.
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