Providing for Consideration of H.R. Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the distinguished gentleman from Washington, a member of the Rules Committee, for yielding me time.

Mr. Speaker, I really came down here to take part in this debate because, yesterday, for 7 hours, we were at the Rules Committee laying out what are known as Goodlatte 1 and Goodlatte 2, these two bills.

This is the rule on what might be called Goodlatte 2. This is a rule and a piece of legislation that represents several years' worth of work that was done by Members of the Republican majority to approach an issue that is known as DACA. It is to take some 700,000 young people, and slightly older, who came to America not because they did it on their own fruition as even a young adult, but as a child, where they could not make a decision. They came with their parents to this country.

We have been struggling for years to find the right answer on how to answer the question of how to deal with these Dreamers.

It is the Republican Party that was challenged by our President who said: I would like for Congress to tackle this issue. It was the President of the United States that began debate and discussion on a bipartisan basis with Republicans and Democrats, Senators and House Members, down at the White House.

It found itself at a point where, then, Members came back here and began working together. It did fall apart, but it did not end. It did not end because the Republican Party in our majority have groups of people who are from all across this country, as we have a Congressman Curbelo from Miami, Florida, as we have a Dan Newhouse from the State of Washington. Each of these Members have care and concern about people who live in their district and who have come and petitioned them: Please, Congressman Newhouse, do something.

What did they ask for? They asked for two things, very simply. They asked: Please allow us to come out of the shadows and recognize us. And, secondly: Give us legal status.

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Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, we are out of time.

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what these bills do. They address the issue in a compassionate, fair way.

They address the issues of coming out of the shadows, and they are given permanent legal status that gives them options for the rest of their life.

I think that what we have done, Mr. Speaker, is more than what we were asked, and to not be a part of taking a vote on this today and voting ``yes'' is another opportunity that we are given here today.

I hope the Members understand the importance.

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