[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4735]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       BENEFITS FOR LEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me quickly join in with my 
colleagues from California and Texas and others of goodwill to oppose 
the amendment that will be on the floor today to deny legal immigrants, 
individuals who are accessing legalization, accessing citizenship, 
paying taxes, but, most of all, giving of their lives so that we might 
be free. What a tragedy. How heinous. I ask my colleagues to vote 
enthusiastically against denying legal immigrants their rightful 
benefits.
  Let me move very quickly to my disappointment with the media who has 
now assessed Secretary Powell's trip as a failure. The Washington Post: 
``Powell to end trip without a cease-fire. Sides failed to agree to 
talk.'' Electronic media reported ``Powell's trip unravels.''
  Let me just simply say that peace is long-standing. It is not for the 
impatient. Our lives depend on it. This administration must continue to 
engage. We must provide a constructive proposal, we must help, in order 
to have peace in the Mideast.
  Secretary Powell must return to the Mideast.

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