[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 25654]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             THE DREAM ACT

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I was disappointed earlier this year when 
the comprehensive immigration reform was not passed. On two separate 
occasions, as Republicans filibustered the legislation to its 
legislative death, we tried to move this to conference on comprehensive 
immigration reform, and it was filibustered both times. We had 
knowledge there were not enough Republican votes to pass it. The last 
time we got 12 Republican Senators.
  Part of that vital legislation was something we called the DREAM Act. 
This legislation's advocates have moved very hard. The primary advocate 
for this, and its primary sponsor, has been Senator Richard Durbin of 
Illinois. He has worked tirelessly in his efforts to pass the DREAM 
Act. He has spoken within the Senate on many occasions, both here on 
the Senate floor, in the committee, and in press conferences we have 
had regarding immigration. I have never known Senator Durbin to feel 
more strongly about anything than this, and we have been together for 5 
years.
  The DREAM Act recognizes that children should not be penalized for 
the actions of their parents. Many of these youth come to America very 
young. Many do not even remember their country of origin because they 
were too young when they left, nor do they speak the language of their 
home country. They think of themselves as Americans.
  Many of these children are so desperate to be able to go to school. 
Only children who come to the United States when they were 15 years old 
or younger and have been in the United States for at least 5 years can 
apply under the DREAM Act. They would have to meet certain criteria, 
including earning a high school diploma, demonstrated good moral 
character, and passing criminal and security clearances. That is what 
the DREAM Act requires. To qualify for permanent status you must go to 
college or serve in the military for at least 2 years.
  I have met star students in Nevada, for lack of a better description, 
who had qualified for the DREAM Act. With it their future is limitless. 
Without it, their future is very limited. Their future is diminished, 
of course, if they can't go to school.
  Many of the children this bill would help are extremely talented and 
have graduated in the top of their classes, yet cannot go to a State 
school. What a waste it is to make it more difficult for them to go to 
college or prohibit them from getting jobs where they could be making 
meaningful contributions to their communities and to our country. What 
good does it do anybody to prevent these young people from having a 
future? Is gang membership better? Is a minimum wage job for life 
better? Is a life of crime better?
  I hoped we would be able to offer this legislation as an amendment to 
the pending legislation, the Defense Authorization Act, but we have 
been unable to do that. Enacting the DREAM Act will give more of our 
children an opportunity to succeed.
  Senator Durbin and all who care about this matter should know that we 
will move to proceed to this matter before we leave here. I am going to 
do my utmost to do it by November 16. This is important legislation. We 
have a commitment to the young people to do this. It was part of the 
comprehensive immigration reform. It was a key part of comprehensive 
immigration reform. It was there that Senator Durbin began talking 
about it--some would think incessantly--but he talked about it all the 
time, and he still feels strongly about this.
  I send a message to him tonight and all who care about this 
legislation, we are going to try to move to this legislation. We should 
have been able to do it on this bill. We are going to be unable to do 
it, but we are going to move forward on this legislation as I have 
outlined.

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