[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Pages 19509-19510]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                  DACA

  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I come to the floor today as a voice for 
800,000 young men and women who are counting on all of us to pass the 
Dream Act. We can't wait because they can't wait. Every day that passes 
is another day they are forced to keep their lives on hold. Right now, 
hundreds of thousands of young people in this country are deferring 
their dreams of finishing a college degree, of becoming a doctor, 
buying a home, raising a family, starting a small business, or serving 
in our military--all because President Trump pulled the plug on the 
DACA Program 3 months ago.
  Imagine that feeling of waking up day after day without any certainty 
about what comes next. Imagine that the country you love--the country 
where you grew up, where you are part of the community, where you pay 
your taxes, where you spend your time, your energy, and your money--
will not commit to uphold this promise to you. That is just wrong.
  Dreamers were brought to this country as children--some of them so 
young, they don't even remember it--and holding up their futures or 
sending them to a country they have never known makes no sense for them 
or for our country. It doesn't do anything to solve our broken 
immigration system, and it certainly doesn't reflect a country of 
opportunity or promise--something the United States has always aspired 
to.
  My colleagues have been sharing stories from their States. Here are a 
few from my home State of Washington--just a few. I have heard so many 
in recent months.
  Not long ago, I was in Tacoma, and I visited a community organization 
that has actually helped hundreds of men and women get enrolled in the 
DACA Program, including a woman named Adriana. She has always been a 
strong student. As early as middle school, she was representing her 
school district in statewide math and science competitions. Now, after 
becoming a certified nursing assistant, she is a program manager 
supervising others. Letting the DACA Program collapse would be a huge 
setback for Adriana and would end her authorization and her ability to 
work as a nursing assistant.
  I heard from a sophomore at my alma mater, Washington State 
University, who was brought here to this country at the age of 9. 
Thanks to the DACA Program, she was able to get a job helping adults 
with disabilities, which has allowed her to pay for college tuition and 
support herself. She is a full-time student with a part-time job and 
still finds time to volunteer in her community. She is on track to 
graduate in 2019. She dreams of owning her own company someday.
  I heard from another DACA recipient who owns a business in Washington 
State. He said that his college degree from the University of 
Washington--which he completed without any Federal funding, by the way, 
no help at all--symbolized one of his great life challenges. And, as he 
noted, he is now using his education, his skills, his earnings, and his 
taxes to contribute to the U.S. economy. He wrote: ``This country is my 
home.''

[[Page 19510]]

  The thought that this country would slam the door shut on him or any 
other Dreamer after all they have put in their communities and our 
country is so backward. That is why we Senators who are elected to work 
for the people and address the big issues facing the country need to 
act.
  I urge my Republican colleagues to consider the stories you heard 
from your own States. Think about the communities you represent and the 
young men and women who are studying and working and starting 
businesses in the communities you travel to and live in. Show them that 
President Trump's reckless, divisive agenda does not represent you, 
your party, or your own State. Work with Democrats to stand for the 
Dreamers in your district, who are unsure if they can keep their job at 
a hospital or as a firefighter or serve in our military to fight for 
our freedoms, who are unsure if they can stay in the only country they 
have known as home and remain with loved ones.
  We need the help of every Member to push back against the policies 
and the rhetoric that hurt our friends and our neighbors, our 
coworkers, our students, and our loved ones, because, to paraphrase Dr. 
King, we know that only our light can drive out the dark forces of 
bigotry and division in this country.
  I thank the countless DACA recipients who have bravely shared their 
stories in letters, in person, and at rallies across our country. I 
know it cannot be easy to speak up in these uncertain times, but I want 
Dreamers to know that there are a lot of us here in Congress and across 
the country who are inspired by your courage and resilience. We stand 
with you, and we will not stop until we get this across the finish 
line.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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