American Dream and Promise Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. GROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, our immigrants have always been our future. Wave after wave of moral, patriotic, hardworking, and law- abiding immigrants have kept America vibrant. Today, the majority party intends to put another 2 to 3 million people on the path to citizenship.

I think it is accurate to say that America does want some form of relief for some DACA folks and some way to make them made legal, but this bill would do a lot. This bill, in my mind, would ruin America.

First of all, I think America would want to restrict this bill to the law-abiding, including law-abiding DACA folks. This bill does not do that. You can commit two crimes and still be here. You can be on a list of gang members and still be here.

As far as self-supporting, this bill doesn't begin to deal with the problem of people who are already taking advantage of our generous welfare safety net. They are going to be staying here under this bill.

Like I said, you can already be on a variety of public assistance programs; it is not dealt with. You can be a bad role model for your kids; it is not dealt with. You don't have to learn English.

People always say: Oh, all the DACA members all know English. That is not true. You do not have to learn English and you are set on a path to citizenship.

We can continue the divisive policy of having people who come here illegally and once made legal get preferences over people who are here native born.

I was in Texas last week, Mr. Speaker. As you know, we have over 100,000 people streaming across our border every month. The majority party does nothing about this.

Yesterday, we passed another welfare bill continuing another, to a large extent, failed welfare program, but we do nothing in that bill to make sure the current welfare programs aren't being abused by illegal or legal immigrants. That is what we should be focusing on at this time.

A lot of people have been trying to destroy America over many years. Go back 100 years, and people realized America is the light of the world. America is the hope for civilization. If I wanted to destroy America, I would craft a bill like this. I would craft a bill saying that we have got people here on the welfare system, path to citizenship; criminal background, path to citizenship; and we put these folks ahead of so many wonderful, hardworking people who are trying to do the system the right way and trying to come here legally.

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