[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8183]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1150
                             2013 GRADUATES

  (Ms. JACKSON LEE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Some years ago, many of us heard of a tsunami. As we 
approach this weekend of congratulating our wonderful graduates, we 
should in fact tell them this is the best and the greatest time of 
their lives. But it is important for Members of Congress to recognize 
that we have a task of graduating to do. We must graduate past 
sequestration and eliminate it, for it is a tsunami against our young 
people.
  We have to in fact graduate past this horrific, pending devastation 
of an increase in the student loan interest rates that will go from 3.4 
percent to 6.8 percent. That's a tsunami against our young people--our 
brightest. And we must turn back the clock on an amendment against 
those who came here as youngsters, through no fault of their own, who 
are now graduating from places around America, in high schools and 
colleges. Yes, immigrant children who are undocumented, who want to 
give back to this Nation, pay their taxes, get a work certificate and 
give back to those who no longer can work, a tsunami has just come 
against them.
  We have to end this and stand for our children. Congratulations to 
the 2013 graduates. As I go home to their graduations, I want to give 
them a gift that America really stands for them.

                          ____________________