[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11048-11049]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            STARTUP ACT 2.0

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Dold) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DOLD. Mr. Speaker, this week I welcomed 26 new citizens to this 
country. It was an inspirational event, and I'm so proud of all they 
have been able to accomplish. These individuals have worked hard to 
become citizens, and they are poised to go on and fulfill the American 
Dream. There is no doubt that times are tough, and yet these 
individuals have persevered despite all of the obstacles.
  As families all over the Nation are struggling with the lagging 
economy,

[[Page 11049]]

 we must remain focused on job creation and economic growth. As part of 
my Main Street jobs agenda, I'm focused on bringing opportunities such 
as STEM education for our students and for those looking for work. As 
part of this effort, I've cosponsored the bipartisan, bicameral Startup 
Act 2.0.
  The United States is the higher education destination for the world. 
This is a testament to the strength of these institutions and the value 
of the degrees. But too often, foreign students come here to learn, and 
then have little choice but to return to their home countries after 
they are through.
  Students with advanced degrees in science, technology, engineering, 
and mathematics are forced to go home with that knowledge, with the 
ideas and aspirations, aspirations to change the world and bring new 
technologies. Many of them want to stay here to make something of 
themselves here in our country because it is still the best place for 
ideas to become realities. And what we do is we force them to go back 
to their own country, to compete against us here in the United States.
  These ideas become solutions which, in turn, become job-creating 
companies. According to a study by the National Foundation for American 
Policy, immigrants founded or cofounded almost half of the top 50 
venture-backed companies in the United States.
  Since our Nation's founding, Mr. Speaker, immigrants have flourished, 
along with our economy. America becomes a richer and more dynamic 
society by encouraging the best and the brightest from all over the 
world to set up shop here on our soil. That is why I'm honored to 
cosponsor the bipartisan, bicameral Startup Act 2.0 that will help get 
Americans back to work, and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
  America becomes a richer and more dynamic society by encouraging the 
best and the brightest from all over the world to come here to our 
country.
  The people I welcomed as new citizens this week do not have time for 
gridlock in Washington, Mr. Speaker. The American public doesn't have 
time for gridlock in Washington. We must move forward and find common 
ground to help the millions of Americans who are working toward their 
American Dream, to help them get back to work.

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