The Dream Act

Floor Speech

THE DREAM ACT -- (Senate - October 24, 2007)

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, our Nation was built on the belief that no matter where we start from in life, we all have a shot at the American dream. I, for one, am very proud of this reputation, and I believe it is one we should continue to promote and maintain. Unfortunately, Mr. President, somewhere along the way, amid politics and rhetoric, the belief that we should now turn our backs on certain children in our communities has gained a voice.

Mr. President, I am here on the floor of the Senate today because I believe we need to make sure that America remains a country of opportunity for all children, no matter where they come from, no matter what language they speak at home, and no matter what obstacles they have to overcome. Earlier today in the Senate we had a chance to pay more than just lipservice to the idea of opportunity for all. Unfortunately, a few Members of this body didn't think it was an American priority.

I still believe in the DREAM Act and its power to not only give hope to many today but to make our country stronger in the future. In fact, we can still give hope to many by passing the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act. This DREAM Act was narrowly tailored bipartisan legislation that would give a select group of undocumented students the chance--the chance--to become permanent residents if they came to this country as children, are long-term U.S. residents, have good moral character, and attend college for at least 2 years or enlist in the military. Certainly, Mr. President, those are criteria that all of us would be very proud of.

Senator Durbin previously brought up the DREAM Act as an amendment to the Defense authorization bill to address critical manpower shortages that are facing our military forces. Under the DREAM Act, tens of thousands of well-qualified potential recruits would become eligible for military service for the first time. These are young people who love our country and are eager to serve in the Armed Forces during a time of war. The DREAM Act would add a very strong incentive to enlist because it provides a path to permanent legal status.

The DREAM Act would also make qualified students eligible for temporary, legal immigration status upon high school graduation that would lead to permanent residency if--if--they attend college.

Mr. President, critics of this amendment would have you believe this is simply a matter of politics. Well, it is not. This is about real people, and I want to tell you about one of them. Recently, the Seattle Times, a newspaper in my State, featured the story of a young woman named Maria who has lived in the United States illegally since her parents brought her here at the age of 5. Maria completed high school in my home State of Washington. She did really well and was an active member of the student body. In fact, she was elected class officer 3 years in a row.

Maria was accepted to the University of Washington. She graduated with a high GPA and honors in her department of study.

Maria is now in her second year of law school, and to quote the Seattle Times:

By all rights, save one, she should have the world by the tail. But she is dogged by the questions: When she graduates, will she be able to take the bar exam? Will she be able to keep helping low-income people as she's done during her internship this summer with a non-profit legal-aid corporation?

``The DREAM Act is my only hope,'' Maria said in the article. ``I hope and I pray for it.''

Isn't Maria exactly the type of young person in whom we should be investing? She studied hard, she got good grades, she has served her school, she has served her community, and now she wants to continue to serve her community and our country--the only home she has ever known.

It is not Maria's fault that her parents brought her to America when she was 5 years old. It is not Maria's fault that Congress has not yet passed the comprehensive immigration reform we clearly need. But it is the thousands of Marias out there who are living the consequences. We do need comprehensive immigration reform, but we also need a Government that invests in our children and understands that the face of the American dream is not just one class or one race or one religion. Our Nation is filled with young people who love this country, have beat the odds, and whom we should be investing in. We will reap the return we invest.

The reason I know that is from personal experience. When I was young, growing up in a family of nine, I thought my family was doing fine. I knew we didn't have a lot of money. But my dad was stricken with multiple sclerosis when I was a young teacher. All of a sudden, seven young kids under the age of 16 didn't know if they would ever be able to go to college, didn't know if they would ever even be able to graduate from high school or how they were going to face the future.

Because this country was there for them and we had student loans and Pell grants and a country that said: We are there with you, all seven of those children graduated from high school and graduated from college. Today, this country has a Microsoft employee. They have a lawyer who works very hard. They have a young mom who stays home with her two kids. They have a newspaper reporter who follows sports around the country. They have an eighth grade teacher who has taught now, for 25-plus years, eighth grade students. And they have a U.S. Senator. That is a pretty good investment by our country for those seven kids who thought they had lost their hope. That was my family.

I know what it is like to lose hope, and I know what it is like to have hope behind you when your country steps in. That is what we are talking about with the DREAM Act--young kids out there who are just looking for a country to be behind them, who have the skills, who have the capability, who are willing to be a part of this country, to give back if they could.

This is a real issue which touches real communities and real people across our country. I actually got a letter from the superintendent of the Lake Chelan School District in north central Washington. I wish to read what he wrote. He said:

Each year I watch students who have worked hard to be successful during high school struggle to continue their education after graduation because of their immigration status. These students are an important part of America's future and we must give them the opportunity to further their education, contribute to society, and help build the American dream for generations to come. Allowing these young people to flourish is not only fair to them, but it also adds value to our country's rich, vibrant, and diverse culture. They deserve that opportunity to succeed regardless of the outcome of the current immigration debate.

I couldn't agree more. I think it is important that we remember that this debate is not just about immigration. It really is about what type of country we want to be. It is about what we stand for. It is about what type of future we want to build.

It is pretty easy to get caught up in the specifics of the policies we debate. But I encourage all of my colleagues to not lose sight, today, as we struggle with this difficult debate, of the bigger picture, because this debate touches nearly every aspect of American life, from our economy to our security, from our classrooms to our workplaces. Most importantly, it speaks about our values.

I received a letter recently from a high school senior named Victor. Victor lives in Walla Walla, a small town on the Washington-Oregon border. Victor wrote to me and he said:

I came to the U.S. when I was 10 years old. My most difficult and only challenge I faced since I came to the U.S. is education. I came to this country not knowing a single word of English, therefore I had to learn it as fast as I could. I was held back a grade and put into English as a Second Language classes. It took me about a year to learn it well enough to where I was able to be in classes with native speakers.

I am currently part of the National Honors Society and I also take part in fall and spring sports. I have been accepted to the University of Washington and three other Washington universities. ..... My plans are to go to the University of Washington and get a degree in computer science.

Unfortunately, I come from a low-income family, making it hard for me to make further plans about my education. Currently the federal government will not help with any financial aid to any noncitizen in the United States. How do you expect us to improve ourselves and succeed in this country?

I would like to ask my colleagues how they answer Victor's question, how they expect our Nation to continue to be one of hope, one of opportunity, if we close down our children's future rather than handing them the keys to success. All of our children should have the opportunity to become more successful than their parents, and none of them should be punished for their parents' decisions.

We have thousands of dedicated, motivated, and gifted students who have been forced into the shadows through no fault of their own. Like Victor, like Maria, they have beaten odds many of us could never even imagine, and they want to serve now and contribute back to America's future. It would be our mistake to say no.

I hope my colleagues will reconsider their votes today. I hope they will say yes to the DREAM Act and yes to a richer, stronger, more vibrant American dream for all of us, for generations to come.

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