Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 -- Motion to Proceed -- Continued

Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, tomorrow, on February 27, the Department of Homeland Security will run out of money and be forced to at least partially shut down. This is the Department responsible for protecting America against terrorism. It faces a government shutdown in about 24 hours.

Last year the congressional Republicans insisted that when we pass the overall Federal budget we cut out of it the Department of Homeland Security and not fully fund the Department. They insisted on this so they could enter into a debate with the President over the issue of immigration, and the House of Representatives sent us funding for this Department contingent on five anti-immigration riders going after the President's position on immigration. They have created an artificial, unnecessary, dangerous funding crisis.

I have come to the floor over the last several weeks while this has been under consideration in the Senate urging the passage of a clean appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security. I was heartened yesterday by the overwhelming vote of 98 to 2 to move toward passing this clean appropriations bill. It appears we have finally come together on a bipartisan basis to fund this critical agency at the eleventh hour.

Sadly, there is no response from the House of Representatives as to whether they will even consider the timely funding for this Department, so we run the real risk we will have to shut down this Department and put America at risk as a result. That is unfortunate because we know how important this Department is and we know the threats are real.

It was just last weekend when we disclosed intelligence gathered that there were extremist groups threatening the malls of America. There were specific threats to malls that were owned by Jewish enterprises, whatever that meant, but that is what they said. That is what we are up against. We see it around the world, real terrorism and real extremism, and now the question is, Does the Speaker of the House see this threat? Do the Republicans who are in the majority in the House see this threat? Do they see it enough to want to fund this critical agency?

This morning on television there was an interview of one of the Republican Congressmen from Alabama. He said: No, this is really a debate about the Constitution, not about convenience.

Convenience? I don't understand that word when we talk about protecting America from terrorism. This is not a convenience, this is a necessity. This is part and parcel of why we exist as a Congress--to keep America safe.

So now the ball is in the court of the Republicans in the House. I think we will pass a clean bill here, and I think it will be overwhelmingly positive and bipartisan.

What is the issue that is sticking in their craw over there that troubles them so much that the House Republicans would jeopardize funding the agency assigned to keep America safe? It is the issue of immigration, particularly Executive orders issued by the President.

One particular part just absolutely gnaws at them as they think about the possibility the President's order of 2012--the so-called DACA order--will be carried out in the future. What is that order? It is an order which said: If someone was brought to the United States as a child--an infant, a toddler, a small child--undocumented, and they went to school in this country and they have no criminal record, we are going to give them a chance to stay here and not be subject to deportation. They can go to school here, they can work here, and they are protected by the President's Executive order--the so-called DACA.

The Republicans in the House hate this idea like the devil hates holy water. They can't understand why these young people who had no wrongdoing in coming to this country should be given this chance, and they are prepared to shut down the Department of Homeland Security if we don't relent.

I come to the floor regularly to tell stories about these young people, and today I want to tell you the story of one of these DREAMers. Her name is Maria Ibarra-Frayre. She was brought to the United States from Mexico at the age of 9, grew up in Detroit, MI, and is an excellent student. She spent a lot of her spare time in community service and as a member of the National Honor Society, the Key Club, and the school newspaper. She volunteered twice a week tutoring middle school students, performed over 300 hours of community service, and graduated from high school with a 3.97 grade point average. There aren't too many of us in the Senate who can boast that kind of grade point average.

Maria was admitted to the University of Michigan, one of the top State colleges in the Nation. She couldn't attend because she is undocumented. Instead, she entered the University of Detroit Mercy, a private Catholic school. She was elected vice president of the student senate. She also helped found the Campus Kitchen, taking leftover meals from the school cafeteria and delivering them to seniors who had difficulty staying in homes.

She participated in the alternative spring break, where she spent her vacation time helping those in need. One year, she went to South Carolina and helped rebuild an elderly couple's house, and another year she worked with the homeless in Sacramento, CA.

Maria graduated as valedictorian of her class, with a major in English and social work. After graduation, her options were limited because she was undocumented. I might add that she didn't have a penny of government assistance going through college--undocumented students don't qualify. But she dedicated herself to community service and volunteered for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, a Catholic nonprofit organization.

Then in 2012 President Obama issued his order to give protection to a young person like herself. She was able to get a temporary work permit to work in the United States. She didn't run out and get a high-paying corporate job. She continued her community service, and now she is a full-time program coordinator for the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. She has applied to graduate school for social work. She wants to become an advocate for victims of domestic violence.

She wrote me a letter and talked about this Executive order which many House Republicans can't wait to rescind and defund. Here is what she said:

DACA means showing the rest of the country, society, and my community what I can do. I have always known what I'm capable of, but DACA has allowed me to show others that the investment and opportunity that DACA provides is worth it.

If the Republicans have their way, Maria will be deported. Having spent the majority of her life in this country, pledging allegiance to that flag, singing our national anthem--the only one she knows--they want her out of this country as quickly as possible.

America is better if Maria can stay. People will get a helping hand from her as they have throughout her entire life. I cannot understand this mean-spirited political strategy that cannot wait to deport this wonderful, amazing young woman from America. And 600,000 young people, many just like her, are only asking for a chance to make this a better Nation.

I hope that we do have a debate on immigration. I hope Members of the Senate and Congress will reflect on the fact that we are a nation of immigrants. Our diversity is our strength. Young people such as this who come to America make us a better Nation.

I yield the floor.

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