[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 193 (Tuesday, December 13, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7127-S7128]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                           Immigration Reform

  Ms. ROSEN. Mr. President, I rise today to express my strong and 
continued support for Dreamers, TPS recipients, and immigrant 
communities in Nevada and across our Nation.
  It has been decades since Congress has passed real immigration 
reform, and almost a decade since we have made a real attempt at taking 
action to provide a permanent solution for those communities and allow 
families--allow families to stay together. As a result, our broken 
immigration system has been left with a patchwork of policies that are 
outdated and inefficient. This is why Congress needs to take action now 
on comprehensive immigration reform, so we can, once and for all, fix 
this severely broken system.
  It shouldn't be a partisan issue. We are talking about families who 
deserve peace of mind about their future. They shouldn't be subjected 
to the uncertainty they currently face every single day.
  Unfortunately, some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle 
refuse to come to the table to work with us on comprehensive 
immigration reform. They would rather leave Dreamers in limbo and have 
this issue for their own political gain than work toward solutions.
  But a number of reasonable Republicans have said in the past that 
they do support a legislative fix to protect our Dreamers and their 
futures. So let's start there and work together to provide an 
immediate, permanent legislative solution for DACA recipients right 
now--right now--while at the same time, we keep working for more 
comprehensive immigration reform.
  In the 10 years since the DACA program first went into effect, it has 
protected nearly 600,000 Dreamers and allowed them to make a home and 
build a life and a future here in our country. In my State of Nevada 
alone, thousands of individuals and families rely on DACA to live, 
work, and raise a

[[Page S7128]]

family, free from fear in a country--the only country they have ever 
known or ever called home.
  DACA has provided vital protections and opportunities for Dreamers, 
ensuring that they can attend college, fully contribute to our economy, 
serve in our military, and really make a difference in our communities.
  Because of DACA, thousands of people have been given access to the 
American dream. And yet yearslong threats to end this policy have left 
nearly 600,000 DACA recipients in limbo, facing uncertainty and 
awaiting court decision after court decision that can jeopardize their 
future and threaten the lives that they have built here.
  So we cannot wait any longer to take action. That is why I am calling 
on my colleagues to work to pass a permanent legislative solution this 
year--this year--for Dreamers, one that gives them permanent 
protections and a pathway to citizenship, while we continue working on 
comprehensive immigration reform.
  So let's put a stand-alone proposal to provide a permanent 
legislative fix for DACA recipients. Let's put that proposal right here 
on the Senate floor and take a vote immediately to solve this issue.
  We must also continue to keep fighting. We have to keep fighting to 
ensure we take a comprehensive approach to reforming our immigration 
system and finally giving these families the peace of mind they so 
richly deserve.
  Families across our country deserve certainty in their futures, and 
the Senate must feel the same sense of urgency that they feel every 
single day. We can't keep them waiting any longer.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


               Unanimous Consent Agreement--S.J. Res. 56

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I ask that the previous order with 
respect to the motion to discharge be vitiated.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, I further ask that I be allowed to speak 
for up to 30 minutes, Senator Risch for up to 5 minutes, and Senator 
Menendez for up to 10 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.