[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 20154]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          PROTECT OUR DREAMERS

  (Mr. COSTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to stand with the DREAMers, both 
in the San Joaquin Valley and throughout our country. Protecting our 
DREAMers is the responsible, moral, and just thing to do.
  The majority of Americans want legal protection for our DREAMers, and 
Congress must listen. I have been listening to those who have visited 
my offices, university presidents, religious organizations, my 
constituents, who simply want us to provide legalization for these 
individuals who have come to this country at an average age of 6 years 
of age. This is the only country they have ever known.
  Passing the Dream Act is a priority for Democrats and has strong 
support for many Republicans. We just need to vote on the bill.
  I am a cosponsor of the Dream Act, and I have joined nearly 200 of my 
colleagues signing a discharge petition to bring this legislation to 
the floor. I now call on my Republican colleagues to do the right thing 
and allow a vote on the Dream Act.
  I will continue to advocate for policies that protect our DREAMers. I 
urge our DREAMers to continue to make their voices heard, as they have 
across this country, and to urge people in Congress to do the right 
thing.
  We must stay vigilant in our efforts to protect these individuals, 
and we as Americans understand what these individuals mean to our 
country.
  Pass the Dream Act now.

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