Immigration Reform

Floor Speech

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, at manufacturing plants in the district I represent, employers are having a hard time finding the skilled workers they need, and many other employers can't find low-skilled workers to fill openings. At colleges across the country, gifted students face the reality that, after graduation, they will have to leave this country to achieve their dreams elsewhere.

These are but some of the faces of immigration reform. Their stories underscore the urgent need to fix our broken system. At an immigration roundtable I hosted last year, a DREAMer, Estefania Garcia, told her story and didn't leave a dry eye in the room. I invited Estefania as my guest to the State of the Union tomorrow night in order to personify the need for comprehensive reform. Estefania's story is moving, but it is in no way unique.

With comprehensive immigration reforms, the world's most gifted STEM minds will help us achieve 21st century success; our economy will be injected with the talent and skills it needs to thrive; 11 million people will pay taxes and become fully engaged in our democracy for the first time.

I rise in strong support of comprehensive immigration reform. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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