[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10752]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  CELEBRATING IMMIGRANT HERITAGE MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Connecticut (Ms. Esty) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ESTY. Mr. Speaker, this month, as we celebrate Immigrant Heritage 
Month, we reflect upon unique backgrounds and honor our collective 
history, but the reality is that our current immigration system is 
badly broken.
  Immigration reform is not only the right thing to do morally, it is 
the right thing to do for our economy. Businesses in Connecticut and 
across the Nation are demanding that we have immigration reform, so 
that they can hire employees and expand their businesses.
  I have heard from manufacturers and from biotech companies in my own 
district who are eager to hire new engineers and Ph.D.'s, but our 
current system forces most of the best and brightest who come from 
around the world, who train at our research institutions here in the 
United States, trained at taxpayer expense, we force them to leave this 
country, taking their talents with them.
  I have met with dairy farmers in Connecticut who cannot find enough 
laborers to work on their farms. Farmers are demanding that Congress 
reform our immigration system to provide a reliable and stable 
workforce, so that they can continue to provide local food, milk, and 
cheese for our families.
  There are 11 million immigrants who are ready to emerge from the 
shadows, ready to join the workforce, and to grow our economy: people 
like Maria, a mother of three from Meriden, who brought her family here 
to build a better life; people like Camila and Carolina--twin sisters, 
honor students--from Danbury, who cofounded Connecticut Students for a 
DREAM, to help DREAMers navigate the immigration system.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time for Congress to act. Let's honor our Nation 
of immigrants by passing comprehensive immigration reform that secures 
our borders, keeps our families together, and creates an earned path to 
citizenship.

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