American Dream and Promise Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren for yielding and for her extraordinary leadership.

Congresswoman Lofgren has been an immigration lawyer. She has taught immigration law, and she has served now as chair of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship. She was masterful in bringing elements together to make today possible. I commend our distinguished chairman, Mr. Nadler, for his leadership, and Congresswoman Jayapal for making this success possible.

But also, I commend Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard. When we passed this bill on the floor a long time ago, it was her legislation. She is the godmother--they are young godmothers--she is the godmother of this legislation. And I commend Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, who was the chair of the Hispanic Caucus when we passed the bill the first time; Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, who has been a champion on this issue; Congresswoman Judy Chu, the chair of her caucus; Congresswoman Karen Bass of her caucus; and Congressman Joaquin Castro of the Hispanic Caucus--inside maneuvering, but the outside mobilization is what made today possible.

The stories of the Dreamers elevated this issue, their stories told with such dignity and patriotism for our country, the mobilization that they evoked from their stories for other people to take up their cause and their case, because it is so important to America. And today, we are not only honoring and rewarding our Dreamers, but we are also addressing the temporary protected status and DED recipients so that they feel much safer.

A year ago, I stood on the floor of this House--yes, in 4-inch heels, for 8 hours, if you want any more statistics--and told many stories of our Dreamers. I couldn't yield because then I would give up my time, so I told the stories of Dreamers. These Dreamers are the constant reinvigoration of America.

Dreamers such as Fernando, who lives in my district, came to the U.S. when he was just 9 years old. He had an excellent education, which I will submit for the Record. He now works at UCSF--that would be the University of California, San Francisco--Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, where he is working hard to provide new insights into deadly diseases and disorders.

There are other stories to tell.

To our businesses and economy, Javier came from Mexico City when he was 5 and now employs hundreds of Americans as CEO of an investment firm.

To technology and innovation, Saba came from Pakistan and is now a Ph.D. candidate studying cancer and other deadly genetic diseases.

And to our security, Andrea came from Peru and is hoping to follow in her father's footsteps as a member of the Air Force.

The list goes on and on. My colleague from California, Mike Thompson, is always bragging that, in California, 5,000 of our teachers are DACA, are Dreamers. We want to give back to them.

The courage, patriotism, and determination to succeed of those young people strengthens our Nation and they must be allowed to stay.

There is nothing partisan or political about protecting Dreamers and TPS and DED recipients.

If the Dream Act had been brought to the floor in the last Congress under the Republican majority and leadership, I do believe that it would have passed under a Republican majority by strong, bipartisan support.

Every President in recent memory--Democrat and Republican--has understood the value of immigration to our Nation.

In his last speech as President of the United States, President Ronald Reagan said he had an important message to communicate to the country he loves, and he went on to say: ``Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we're a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a nation.''

President Reagan went on to say: ``If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost.''

Today, our new Democratic House majority is advancing that leadership in the world, in a bipartisan way, hopefully, with the American Dream and Promise Act.

We are pleased that this legislation opens a door of opportunity to TPS and DED recipients, who are American in every way: raising families, starting businesses, contributing to our communities, and fighting in our wars over decades.

Once we pass this bill--we want it to pass the Senate and be signed by the President. We want it to be a bridge to understand why we need comprehensive immigration reform for an immigration system that embraces the contributions of our newcomers.

Protecting Dreamers and TPS and DED Americans is about honoring the respect for family that is at the heart of our faith and at the heart of who we are as Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a strong, bipartisan vote to pass this legislation, and to safeguard every person's right to pursue his or her American Dream. And to my colleagues, today, on the floor of this House, we have the opportunity to be part of history, to be on the right side of history, but, more importantly, to be on the right side of the future by voting and recognizing the value of Dreamers to that future. Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

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