[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 4269]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2000
                         SOMEBODY ELSE'S BABIES

  (Mr. SWALWELL of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SWALWELL of California. Mr. Speaker, in every chapter from the 
story of America's success, we find countless examples of the 
contributions made by immigrants. In fact, it begins in our prologue: 
we are a nation founded by immigrants.
  Yet, over the weekend, a Member of this House, Mr. King of Iowa, 
said: ``We can't restore our civilization with somebody else's 
babies.''
  There is nothing to restore. We are the greatest country in the 
world. But, worse, by disparaging the value of somebody else's babies, 
Mr. King argues for an America void of people of color or who worship 
differently than he does. That is not who we are.
  Behind me are a few small examples of somebody else's babies: people 
who immigrated to America or whose families immigrated to America, 
practicing many different faiths, coming from many different countries.
  They include the daughter of Chinese immigrants who became one of 
America's most celebrated and best-selling authors, Amy Tan; the son of 
a Syrian migrant, Steve Jobs, who founded Apple; and the son of a 
Kenyan student, who recently finished two terms as the 44th President 
of the United States, Barack Obama.
  These are not somebody else's babies. These are immigrants and the 
children of immigrants, and they are our babies.
  I was born and baptized in Sac City, Iowa, located in Mr. King's 
district. It is where I learned from Exodus 22:21, ``You must not 
mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves 
were once foreigners.'' And from the Iowans I know, they were raised to 
accept and love the same way.
  I hope my colleagues join me in denouncing bigoted, hateful, and 
divisive rhetoric, and let's celebrate the beautiful diversity that has 
always made our Nation shine: these beautiful ``somebody else's 
babies'' who are America's babies.

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