[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15211]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           PASS THE DREAM ACT

  (Ms. GABBARD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, Josue Fuentes was brought to Hawaii from El 
Salvador when he was 13 years old, where he was escaping rampant gang 
violence and domestic abuse at home.
  He went to high school in Honolulu, made friends, got a job. But no 
matter what he did, he couldn't escape the dark shadow cast on his 
future because of his immigration status.
  Josue describes DACA as a weight lifted from his back. He was 
empowered to apply for college. He bought a home and pursued 
opportunities that any of us would want for our children.
  Today, he is a small business owner. He owns a landscaping company, 
he volunteers at his local church, and continues to give back to the 
Kaneohe community that he calls home.
  I urge my colleagues to sign a discharge petition to bring the Dream 
Act to the floor for a vote so we can pass a permanent solution for 
Josue and millions of DREAMers across the country. Our Nation made a 
promise to these young men and women. We must uphold that promise.

                          ____________________