American Dream and Promise Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, I may be new to Washington, but, apparently, I have learned something that the other side of the aisle has not, which is how to read a bill. If my colleagues go to page 11, line 21, of this bill, they will learn that gang members are not eligible under H.R. 6.

Mr. Speaker, if my colleagues don't believe me, I will quote the bill, that the applicant ``knowingly, willingly, and willfully participated in offenses committed by a criminal street gang . . . with the intent to promote or further the commission of such offenses'' may be denied by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

So, look, spare me. Spare me, Mr. Speaker.

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Mr. NEGUSE. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to spare me this false outrage because if this really were about gang violence, my colleagues have continuously had opportunities to pass legislation that would curb that threat.

If this were about gun violence and gang violence, where were my Republican colleagues last year when Congressman Connolly introduced H.R. 5960, a bill actually called the Preventing Gang Violence Act of 2018, a bill that they killed in committee?

If my colleagues across the aisle truly wanted to combat gang violence, why did they refuse to let H.R. 1297, the Youth PROMISE Act, come out of committee when it was introduced in the 114th Congress by Congressman Scott?

At the end of the day, there is no question that no one is interested in allowing gang members to benefit from the American Dream and Promise Act, and that is why this bill addresses this exact issue.

At the end of the day, the Secretary has the ability to deny any applicant if they have directly participated in gang activity, even if they have not been convicted of a crime.

Mr. Speaker, what we have lost in the debate today, in my view, is what this bill is all about at its core.

I rise today not just as a Member of this body, not just as a proud American, but as the son of immigrants, as the son of African refugees who came to the United States over 35 years ago from a war-torn country in east Africa.

They became naturalized citizens, and they never forgot nor took for granted the freedom and the opportunities that the United States of America gave them and their children.

That I am able to stand in this Chamber with all of my colleagues today is proof that the American Dream is real, and I want it to be attainable for generations to come.

That is why we must pass H.R. 6 today. Right now, there are young people all across our country who know no other home but the United States. These kids are dedicated and willing to put in the hard work to earn a college education. They are excelling in their careers. They are contributing to our communities in countless ways every day.

We cannot allow these young people to continue to live in fear, to be at risk every single day of being ripped away from their lives and losing everything that they know.

In America, immigrants are integral parts of each of our communities and of our economy. They are our friends. They are our neighbors. They are our coworkers. They are fighting each and every day, just as we are, to live up to the American ideals that our country was founded on.

Mr. Speaker, I have often heard my colleagues on the other side of the aisle offer quotes in this Chamber, in my limited time here. Well, let me give you a quote.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to offer a quote, and the quote is as follows: ``It is bold men and women, yearning for freedom and opportunity, who leave their homelands and come to a new country to start their lives over. They believe in the American Dream. And over and over, they make it come true for themselves, for their children, and for others. They give more than they receive. They labor and succeed. And often they are entrepreneurs. But their greatest contribution is more than economic, because they understand in a special way how glorious it is to be an American.''

That quote, those are not my words. Those are the words of President Ronald Reagan, and they were delivered by President Ronald Reagan in 1980, the same year my parents came to the United States.

Let's pass H.R. 6 today, and let's treat every person in our country who has struggled and is just as American as you and I are, let's treat them with the respect that they deserve.

Vote ``no'' on this motion to recommit, and let's pass H.R. 6 today.

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