[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 22900]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           IMMIGRANTS' LOVE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS COUNTRY

  (Mr. BACA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, the blood, sweat and tears of this Nation's 
immigrants are interwoven in the fabric that makes America great. We 
are a Nation founded with a Constitution, a Bill of Rights, on the 
ideals of family, equality, dignity, and respect for life.
  Immigrants contribute to America. They pay taxes, worship in our 
churches, serve us proudly in our military.
  Henry Cejudo, this summer, won an Olympic gold medal in free-style 
wrestling. Sergeant Rafael Peralta is being recognized with a military 
decoration for making the ultimate sacrifice.
  Immigrants throughout our history have contributed to making our 
communities a lot stronger, but anti-immigrant rhetoric continues to 
cloud the picture. Comprehensive immigration is the only way to solve 
the problem, an approach that respects our core American values of 
family, equality and human rights.
  I challenge my colleagues, as we approach the next session, to look 
beyond the anti-immigrant rhetoric and join me in comprehensive 
immigration reform.

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