Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2007--Motion to Proceed
Floor Speech
DEVELOPMENT, RELIEF, AND EDUCATION FOR ALIEN MINORS ACT OF 2007--MOTION TO PROCEED -- (Senate - October 24, 2007)
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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, many speeches are made on the floor, many amendments are offered, many bills, and many resolutions. Very few of them cause a ripple. A handful of people may follow them closely, a handful of people may care. The DREAM Act is a different thing. The DREAM Act is a bill which I thought about and introduced years ago, and it has finally reached this moment of truth where it comes to the floor of the Senate. The reason why this bill will be noticed is that literally thousands of young people across America know that their fate and future will be determined by this vote.
Yesterday, I had a press conference with three of these young people. A Congressman from the State of Colorado sent out a press release arguing that these three young people should be arrested in the Capitol. Of course, he didn't take the time to determine that they are all here now with the understanding of and disclosure to the Department of Homeland Security. But his press release is an indication of how badly this debate is going in America. To turn on these children and treat them as criminals is an indication of the level of emotion and, in some cases, bigotry and hatred that is involved in this debate.
America is better than that. America is a better nation than what we hear from the likes of that Congressman. What crime did these children commit? They committed the crime of obeying their parents; following their parents to this country. Do you think there was a vote in the household about their future? I don't think so. Mom and dad said: We are leaving. And the kids packed their suitcases and followed. That is their crime. That is the only crime you can point to. What did they do after they got here? To qualify under the DREAM Act, they had to make certain they didn't commit a crime while living in America; they had to have good moral character and beat the odds and graduate from high school. That is the only way they can qualify for this.
Then what do we say? Not enough. If you want to be legal in America, you have to do one of two things: Volunteer to serve in our military, to risk your life for America, and then we will give you a chance to be citizens. But even that is not good enough for some. Some argue, no, we don't want them in our military. We don't need them. Well, the people involved in our military know better. They know these are the kind of bright, promising young people who can serve our country with distinction and they tell us that.
What else could they do? They can pursue their education to show they are serious about making something out of their lives. These are the only two ways they get a chance. That is what the DREAM Act is all about.
I could go for an hour or more with stories of these young people whom I have met. They are hopeful and heartbreaking at the same time. They are hopeful stories because these are young people who have the same dreams my children have, the same dreams every American child has: to have a good life, a good family, and do something important in their lives. That is all they want.
The young woman from India I met in Chicago wants to be a dentist. The young man from Mexico, who is now pursuing his graduate degree in biomedical science, wants to go into research. A young girl from Texas is a graduate of nursing school but can't find a job because she is a person without a country. Tomorrow's teachers and engineers and scientists. All they are asking for is a chance. That is the hopeful side of it.
The heartbreaking side of it is these are kids without a country. They have nowhere to turn. Tam Tran, who is with us today and who joined me yesterday, has been through an arduous journey, starting in Vietnam, going to Germany, then coming to the United States. Her family can't return to Vietnam and face persecution, and Germany would not have her. She doesn't even speak German. Yet our government tells her: Leave. She graduated from UCLA. She wants to pursue a degree and be a professor.
Leave. We don't want you. Is that the message? If it is, it is the wrong message. Because time and again we are told we need talent in America to be a successful and prosperous nation. We are told we need to bring in talent from overseas with our H-1B visas and the H-2B visas. Well, how can we, on one side of the argument, say we need more talent and then turn these children away, turn these young people away? Give them a chance. Give them hope. Give them a chance to prove themselves in this country.
This bill puts them through a long process. It will not be easy. Some will not make it. Most will not make it. But those who do will make this a better Nation. Isn't that what we should be about?
Mr. President, I reserve the remainder of my time.
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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, during the course of preparing this bill for the floor, I have been working on both sides of the aisle. I hope the vote in a few minutes will evidence that. I have had a constructive conversation with Senator Hutchison of Texas and Senator Martinez of Florida and others about modifications of the DREAM Act. I believe the proposals they have made in principle are positive proposals that move us toward our goal.
I say to the Senator from Texas, and I certainly am going to open this to her comments when I finish, it is my intention to offer a substitute amendment as the first amendment that is brought forward by the majority, a bipartisan amendment with Senator Hutchison which will achieve our mutual goals. I hope we can reach that agreement in the next 30 hours, after this motion prevails. Failing that agreement, the minority is protected because it will require another cloture vote, another 60-vote margin before this bill moves forward.
So they have my word to work in good faith on the substitute bipartisan amendment. Failing that, their protection is a cloture vote which they could join in defeating.
I yield to my colleague from Texas if she has any comment or question.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I appreciate what the Senator from Illinois has said because I do believe there is a compromise approach to the DREAM Act that could have bipartisan support. As has been mentioned on the floor, there is no opportunity that has been laid out for a substitute to be considered. But the Senator from Illinois has given me his word. I have been working on something that I think would take us on the right path. This is such an important piece of legislation, and I do think this is isolated from the entire immigration issue because there----
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's 2 minutes has expired.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 1 additional minute on both sides.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, there are young people who have been brought to this country as minors, not of their own doing, who have gone to American high schools, graduated, and who want to go to American colleges. They are in a limbo situation. I believe we should deal with this issue. We should do it in a way that helps assimilate these young people with a college education into our country. They have lived here most of their lives. If we sent them home, they wouldn't know what home is. There is a compassionate reason for us to try to work this out. But I will say, if we cannot work on a bipartisan amendment, we will have another vote, as has been promised. I will vote against the Durbin bill. But if we can work on a bipartisan solution, we should try.
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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, what are we talking about? We are talking about children. We are talking about children who are brought to this country by their parents. Since when in America do we visit the sins and crimes of parents on children?
If a parent commits a crime, does that mean the child goes to prison? If a parent disqualifies himself or herself from American citizenship, does that mean the child can never have a chance? Is that what America has come
to amidst the confusion and distortion and vitriol on this debate on immigration, children such as Marie Gonzalez? She was brought to this country from Costa Rica by her parents at the age of 5. Her parents have been deported as illegals. Because I have made a special request, she has been allowed to continue to finish her college education at Westminister College in Missouri. Her goal is to be an American and to give to the only country she has ever known. Costa Rica is not her country; America is her country.
What we are talking about is turning these children out. And what sin, what crime did they commit? They obeyed their parents; they followed their parents. And for some, that is going to be a mark of Cain on their head forever in America. Is that what we are all about? Give these kids a chance. Meet them. Take time to see these children. Many of us have.
And what you will see in their eyes is the same kind of hope for this country we want to see in our own children's eyes, to be doctors and nurses and teachers, engineers, to find cures for diseases, start businesses, the things that make America grow.
Give these kids a chance. Do not take your anger out on illegal immigration on children who have nothing to say about this. They were brought to this country, they have lived a good life, they have proven themselves, they have beaten the odds. We need them.
Do not turn around and tell me tomorrow that you need H1-B visas to bring in talented people to America because we do not have enough. Do not tell me you need H2-B, H2-A, and all of the rest of them if you are going to turn away these children, if you are going to say: America doesn't need you, go about your business, find someplace in the world. Do not come back to me and tell me that we need a bigger labor pool and more talent in America.
How can we say no to hope? How can we say no to these kids when all they want is a piece of the American dream? Please, vote to proceed to the DREAM Act. I will work with Senator Hutchison on a bipartisan amendment. We will do our best. I think we can come up with something. Give us a chance. Give these kids a chance.
I yield the floor.
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