About social justice in america. The American PeopleWant Congress to pass a dream act. 84 of americans support a path to citizenship to dreamers or permanent status. 8 on the path to citizenship. 70 of republicans back either citizenship or permanent status. He three b. s, business, badges, our Law Enforcement community, bibles. Pass loring congress to the dream act. Earlier this month i stood with evangelical leaders to call on the speaker to bring the dream act to a vote. Pass the dream for the sake of family, fairness, and respect for the spark of divinity within every person. There is nothing partisan or political about protecting dreamers. If a dream act were brought to the floor, it would pass immediately with strong bipartisan support. And i commend my republican colleagues for their courage in speaking out on this. Yet our dreamers hang in limbo with a cruel cloud of fear and uncertainty above them. The republican moral cowardest must end. Members of congress are trustees of the people and of our nation. Why are we here if not to protect the patriotic young people who are determined to contribute and to strengthen america . Im going to go on as long as my leadership minute allows. Id like to speak to the bible 2537. 10 the prabble of the Good Samaritan. Teacher, he asks, what must i do to inherit eternal life . What is written in the law, he replied. How do you read it . Jesus answered, love the lord, your god with all your heart and your soul and all your strength and with all your mind. Love your neighbor as yourself. You have answered correctly, jesus replied, do this and you will live. But he wanted to justify himself so he asked jesus, who is my neighbor . And replied jesus said, a man going down from jerusalem to jericho, when he love your neig yourself. You have answered was attacked by robbers they stripped him of his clothes, beat him, and went away leaving him half dead a priest happened to be going down the same road when he saw the man he passed to the other side of the road. So, too, a lee vite, when he came to the place and saw him passed on to the other side. But a samaritans as he traveled came where the man was and when he saw him he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, and then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out money and gave them to the incooper. Look after him, with and when i return ill reimburse you for any extra expense they have. Which of these three do you think was the neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robsers. The man who had jersey on him. Jesus told him, go and do likewise. The parable of the Good Samaritan is one that has been used over and over again to welcome strangers. Samaritans were not friends to the person that the samaritan saved. But he was a man of justice. We all know how proud were of america as a land of opportunity, the land of the american dream. Which for decades and centuries have attracted people to our shores. To make a future for future bert for their families. In doing so, they subscribe to the vows of our founders. New order for the ages, it says on the great seal of the United States. A new order. And that meant that every was predicated on the idea every generation would take responsibility to make the future better for the next. It became known as the american dream. People flocked to our shores. Bringing their determination, their hope, their courage to make the future better for their families. Doing sorks as i said, they subscribed to the doing so, as i said, they subscribed to the values of our founders, to make the future better. Thats why our country would be a new order for the ages. So how proud were to have a statue of liberty welcoming people to our shores. Lazarus ds in the inscribed on the statue it said not like the brazen giant of greek fame with conquering lens astride from land to lazarus inscribed on the statue it said not like land, here our sea washed sunset gates stand a mighty woman with a torch whose flame is imprisoned has imprisoned lightning, her name motherer exiles, from her beacon hand goes worldwide welcome, her mild eyes command. Words that are music to the ears of everyone who loves freedom. Keep ancient hands your starried pup. Give me your tired, poor, humble masses yearning to live free. The wretched refuge of your eeming shores send these the homeless tempest tossed to me i lift my lamp beside the golden door. With those words america has been a beacon to the world and how proud this has made us. America is great, some say, because america is good. And this manifestation of our goodness is one that is historic. In responding to the call to the statute of liberty who must by now have tears in her eyes having heard some of the debate on immigration, i want to read some of the dreamers who came to our who came to our shores. Maybe through land or by sea. I want to talk about lieu viss, luis, luis came to the United States when he was 5 years old and grew up in poverty. Today hes an agriculture ambassador at college of the sequoias and works to help students improve their grades. Working to help students improve their grades. Following the repeal of daca, luis constantly worries about his ability to continue working in order to afford his education. Is one of four siblings also attending college that are also daca recipients. Is one of jacqueline, her daca expires this month. She was raised in the city of chicago much shes an undocumented american aspiring to earn a bachelors degree in Graphic Science design. Her education is her priority. Ever since she was in elementary school, throughout high school she had serious doubts about her future due to her status. But never stopped her from pursuing Higher Education. She went on to community college, working at a parttime job and earning a few scholarships that eventually added up to afford tuition. Her mother, a single mother, would not be able to contribute to her education after high school, it was her choice and responsibility to work her way financially through college. Thanks to scholarships like the Illinois Dream Fund and the dream of the dream u. S. And other community scholarships, she was lucky to follow through Higher Education. Something that most of her undocumented peers would not have the chance to do. Her dreams are the same dreams of other undocumented americans to persevere in this great country. Hector suarez, hes a daca recipient from greensboro, north carolina. Hes been a recipient for daca for the past six years. This may come to an end in january on january well, it came to an end on january 21. He is currently on track to graduate in may with a degree in philosophy and education. Student body president and honor scholar at gilford college, this part of his curriculum to serve in the local community. He has served as an after school tutor at a local Community Center that services predominantly Latino Community as well as assisting in classrooms and newcomers school. His plan for after graduation for enroll in teach america since it is his only opportunity for being a teacher while being a daca recipient. Once it was rescinded in december these plans for america since had to be delayed. Without daca he will not have the opportunity to keep serving the community in greater ways. Hectors daca expires five days before the teach for america january deadline. This is why he needs there to be a resolution as soon as possible so he can move forward with his plans of mentoring the future leaders of america. Bring this up because as you know the discussions and negotiations on the caps bill, the budget bill are making progress and perhaps soontobe coming to an end. On that score, so far as what i know, the budget caps agreement, which will be announced today, includes many democratic priorities, bipartisan priorities, with the Disaster Recovery package and dollar for dollar increases in the defense and nondefense budget. Democrats have secured money to invest across america. Strengthen our veterans and the n. I. H. , build job creating Rural Infrastructure and broadband, and fund access to childcare and quality Higher Education. Thats something that was negotiated, our input between leader Mcconnell Mitch mcconnell and leader chuck shumer. But Mitch Mcconnell chuck schumer. But Mitch Mcconnell also made a commitment to his members made a commitment to his members that he would bring up floor of l to the the senate in an appointed time. So why cant we have some kind of commitment on this side of the aisle that enabled the discussion to take place on a valuesbased place . Here we asked the speaker if he would bring up the hurdaguilar bill, which is bipartisan, would win if brought to the house, has sufficient number of republican cosponsors. Thank you for your courage to go public. But others that said they would vote for it. But we would like the speaker to bring that and any bills to be considered. The bill with the most votes becomes prevailing either support what the senate has done or to reconcile what the senate has done. That is a simple request. That is a simple request that the House Democrats and in a bipartisan way others have joined in asking the speaker to bring a bill to the floor, to give us that commitment. Why should we in the house be treated in such a humiliating way when the Republican Senate leader has given that opportunity in a bipartisan way to his membership . Whats wrong . Theres something wrong with this picture . Thats why this morning when we took a measure of this caucus on support of the package well, we have to see all the particulars of it yet, but there are good things in it that does nothing to even advance, even with a commitment, without having passed the legislation first to advance Bipartisan Legislation to protect dreamers in this house. Without that commitment from speaker ryan, comparable to the commitment from leader mcconnell, this package does not have my support, nor does it have the support of a large number of members of our caucus. So then i go on to some other i always am reminded in all these debates about our commitment to faith. In god we trust, it says that right over the speakers chair. In the gospel of matthew, it has been an inspiration to many on either side of the aisle in terms of what our values are and how we make choices. And when in the gospel of matthew, he writes, when the son of man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious thrown. All the nations will be gathered before him and he will separate the people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on the right, come, you are blessed by my father, take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. The sheep will ask christ goes on to say, for when i was hungry you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer, lord, when did i sigh you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you something to drink . The lord says, when you see us what did you see a stranger invite them in and clothing you hes asking the lord. And when did you see and in prison and i visited you . The king replied, truly whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did for me. Thats always important. That. Dy knows the least of my brett ren however, the king goes on to say say to those on the left, the goats, depart from me you are cursed in the eternal fired prepared for the devil and his angels. For when i was hungry you gave me nothing to eat. When i was thirsty you gave me nothing to drink. When i was a stranger you did not invite me in. When i needed clothes you did not clothe me. When i was in sick and in prison you did not look after me. They say, when did i see you and did not help you . They will reply, truly i tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these you did not do for me. Not only positive of what you did you did for me, its what ou did not do when i was a stranger, you did not help. Then, it will go into eternal punishment, the righteous will go into eternal life. So anyway, more stories about our dreamers. And why they are honoring why they honor the vows of our founders. Why they deserve our support. Were just talking about this discreet group of people, have the command and support of the American People. One is from ponca city, oklahoma. One is working as a medical assistant and trying to pursue a career in nursing and volunteers with casa, City Rescue Mission and rebuilding together oklahoma city. To address issues of poverty and homelessness in her city. With daca, was able to apply for a drivers license and work legally. However, because her application was caught up in postal delays, isela was not able to get her renewal and daca will expire january 20 already expired january 20. Because of this she will have to take a semester off from school and she is facing disruption in her life. This is really important to note because the people some of the people in the white house have been saying, nobodys being deported. Well, well see about that. But theyre saying these people are protected. Theyre not protected. And you heard the characterization that the president s chief of staff made about some of these people, about being lazy or whatever it is. I think our discussions on the economy in a separate context weve seen how few americans would be able to rise to the occasion immediately if they had a 500 unsuspected bill that had come their way. Whether their water heater broke or whatever it is, it will be challenging. It would be disruptive to their lives. It would be hard for them to have an expendable immediately expendable 500. But thats what it takes to sign up to what the president signup that was required by the president after his september announcement. So its not about being lazy or, yes, probably about fear, too, that mr. Kelly general kelly mentions that. But its about not understanding the situation of fear and of contribution, the beautiful contribution that the dreamers make to our country. Its ok isel came 7 and attempted to adjust her status with her families, she aged out of eligibility at 21. Daca able to apply for when she was 17 years old. In new mexico, dahlia immigrated to the United States from mexico. Shes a licensed Mental Health therapist provided services to atrisk youth for those in new mexico. Shes trying to open her practice to continue aiding families in her state. She recently obtained a masters degree in clinical social work and previously earned a bachelors degree in criminalology and psychology. All of these people are making such an wonderful contribution to our society. Because they have courage and they have values and they have purpose in their lives. These stories were given to me by our colleagues as they have taken up the cause of many of these dreamers. But it is not enough. We have no right to talk about dreamers and to tell their stories and take pride in their actions unless we are willing to take action to support them. And we have that opportunity today by asking the speaker of the house to give us a vote. What are you afraid of . Give us a vote. Let the house work its will. Senator Mcconnell Mitch mcconnell is enabling the senate to work its why. Why should the house of representatives be constrained, especially on such a valuesbased issue as who we are as a nation and recognizing our biblical responsibility to each other . Nicole robles from houston, texas, she was born in mexico. Her family immigrated to the United States when she was 6 months old and she faces deportation. In less than 100 days her daca will expire. Im anxious. This is now much less than 100 days. Im anxious, she says, because im graduating high school in a few months and want to Start College august of next year. How would i do that without my daca . There are so many barriers to Higher Education when youre not documented. With the dream act, undocumented students will have a sense see, what the dream act gives them is a documented sense of security and opportunity to go to school, to get a job, to care for their families, to continue their studies in college and university, she says. I want that security and opportunity to deserve that we need congress by the end of the year so that more people dont reach their expiration dates. Now, let me say that we talked mostly about education, people working in education and social activities to help other people do their best. But many of our daca our dreamers have served in our military with great courage and great patriotism to the only country that they know. And, again, using my leaders minute, i want to make sure that the record is clear about what this debate is about. Its about honoring our own commitment to the statue of liberty to the Founding Fathers n terms of making this is land where one generation would take responsibility to make the future better for the next. And that brings to mind another person from new mexico, albuquerque, urilia. Growing up i was reminded of my immigration status every day by my mother. 20 years later i realized she did this to prepare our family for the imminent day our family would face a be deportation and that could be today because my daca has expired. Daca is what allowed me to pass through the immigration checkpoints safely. I am a survivor of slault sexual assault. With daca i was able to approach the police to report the person who assaulted me. Trump has put border residents and survivors of assault in jeopardy. This is not how this country should treep immigrant youth and our families. Just want to know why we are making this plea. This is a human plea to the speaker, a prayerful human plea to the speaker. Its almost 40 hours. This morning when i first met with my colleagues in our meeting at 8 00, it was exactly 40 hours until midnight tomorrow. 40 is a meaningful fraught a number fraught with meaning in our religious lives. 40 years, old testament, 40 years of moses and the jews in the desert. 40 years christ was in the desert himself. 40 days, the length of time of lent. And therefore 40 hours is a catholic devotion that many of us grew up with. And we have that same 40 hours from 8 00 this morning until tomorrow night at midnight to be prayerful, to be prayerful and to show our purpose and to show why were asking the speaker for this vote. I have great admiration for the work that is done in a bipartisan way on the budget bill. Of course, its not everything we want, but there are many good things in it. And i just cant explain to the dreamers or to my colleagues why we should be secondclass members of congress in this house without a commitment from the speaker, thats Mitch Mcconnell, gave to the senators that there would be a vote on the floor, to let Congress Work its will. What are you afraid of . Are you afraid the dreamer bill will pass . The work of mr. Hurd and mr. Aguilar working with other members to shape a bill that would recognize concerns that the president has and others have to put a bipartisan bill there that should attract the support of the president. Instead, were hearing words that are hard to process from the white house, but nonetheless recognizing that we have to go down this path together. We all believe, as the bible tells us, there is a spark of divinity in every person, and that we must respect that spark of divinity. Tomorrow will be the Prayer Breakfast and thats a solemn occasion in washington, d. C. , and were always thinking in terms of christ. Christ became man. He brought his divinity his assuming humanity brought his divinity to us so that we participate in his divinity. Every one of us. We have to remember that not only does it exist in every person we encounter but it exists in us. It exists in the president of the United States and his staff and all of the people who elected him. Thats a beautiful thing about it all. That spark in each of us has to relate to other people and treat them with respect. What kind of country would we be, how would we judge other countries, if they said we have several hundred thousand people who came here as children and now were sending them back where they came from. We would make a judgment about those countries that that was outside the circle of civilized human behavior. And yet, and yet we have something to do about that right now. Want to talk to you about juan carlos from oregon. He said, i emigrated to the United States when i was 3 years old with my parents because i needed medical treatment for cerebral palsy. I went through six surgeries and 12 years of physical therapy and walked for the first time when i was 15. Growing up i did well in school but felt struck because i didnt know how to go to college. With the help of my counselor i was able to apply for private scholarships and attend a community college. Im at Western Oregon University where im inspired to start my own group of undocumented young people like me. Im getting my masters there and part of the College StudentService Administration program with the dream of one day making Higher Education accessible to lowincome and undoiment the students. And undocumented students. Without daca i no longer have Health Insurance through an employer. I suffer from depression and suicidal thoughts. Thats why i visited my members of congress to urge them to pass the dream act because my life and health are on the line. Patricia was born in el salvador. She said i have mixed status family. My parents have t. P. S. I have one u. S. Citizen brother and two sisters and i have daca. We need the dream act now because one of my sisters daca expires on march 6, 2018. Pretty soon the rest of my sisters and i could loose our protections, too. Our parents are already using their t. P. S. Protections because trump terminated the program. I want the government to recognize us as part of society and know that this is our home. We contribute to our communities even without papers. My family wants to be able to Stay Together and feel safe to work, drive, and travel. Here she says, i want to repeat this, we contribute to our without s even papers. As an Italian American who grew up at a time when i did not feel any prejudice or bias or if i did i thought it was the other persons problem, papers. As an Italian American who grew up at a time when we Italian Americans think there are only two kinds of people, those who are Italian American, those who want to be. My fathers generation and grandfathers generation. Great grandmothers generation it was a different story. There was a term called w. O. P. People used that as a derogatory term to Italian Americans. You know what it means, mr. Speaker . W. O. P. Means without papers. Without papers. Thats what these people were called. Without papers. And thats all that these kids are. Without papers. And every other way, strong participants in our society, in our community, and in our country. So again, just give us a chance to have a vote, mr. Speaker. Another day will come when we can talk about comprehensive immigration reform. We can talk about this, that, and the other thing. Hurdaguilar he bill whatever is being put together in the senate recognizes our responsibility to protect our borders, recognizes the value of immigration to our country, hopes, dreams, aspirations, making america more american every newcomer who comes. I truly believe that. The constant reinvigoration of america. A maximum canborn individual, writes, we still dont know a lot about cancer. Dont know about genetic diseases. My research at texas tech goes to the heart of that. It uses pure math mathematics to look at wully all dont kno genetic diseases. My these genetic diseases exist and how. So someday we can come up with cures for them. Were paragraph from that point but this is the challenge i work on. In addition to conducting research at texas tech, i taught undergraduate students as a teaching assistant. This past semester i got to teach anatomy and one of my students was blind and had a service dog. It was a blessing, great experience to teach her anatomy. Something that she got to touch and feel to learn. It taught me a lot of patience, what its like to work alongside my American Students and peers, and im just as much a part of their lives as they are of mine. If daca is repealed, i would be out of job immediately and i wont be able to teach my students. I wont be able to continue conducting the research im conducting right now. This research could help scientists understand diseases like cancer and lay down a path toward a cure. Without daca i cant continue. I wanted to just say this. I think that there is a lack of understanding and we should have made it clear on the other side of the aisle and with the white house about what the president s action in september did. The president may be in good spirits thought by giving us a march 5 deadline he was giving six us six months reprieve to dreamers, but what he was doing matters worse for thefment it was most unfortunate. Most for them. It was most unfortunate. Most unfor the unfor the nafment while they maintain the status of dreamer, they did not ave the protection of the daca executive order that president obama put forth. Perhaps it would have been better if President Trump had said, im giving a sixmonth congress six months to pass a bill but im not changing the status quo that protects the status, protects the dreamers. Just on that point, president obama when he protected the dreamers and their parents, what he did was significant. But it was not as significant at what president reagan did in the 1980s. President obama acted because congress would not act. He took action. President reagan acted after congress did act. E immigration act of 198 1986. President reagan said interesting but you did not go far enough. He instituted by executive order family fairness. And in the family fairness continued under president George Herber walker bush. Two Herbert Walker bush. Two great president s for immigration in our country. What they did protected with their executive orders, which stood the test of court cases, with their executive orders protected a higher 3ersage percentage of people than what president obama did. Two republican president s, two great champions on immigration. Even after congress acted they said you didnt go far enough. President obama had to act would not act. Then we come forward with president clinton following in that tradition. President george w. Bush, great president on would not act. Imm couldnt convince his own party to pass comprehensive immigration reform, but his statements, his valuesbased policy on immigrants is something to this day and his current statements are so beautiful and inspirational. About treating people with dignity and valuing their worth as we talk about immigration. So this president of course president obama doing what he did in terms of executive orders, protecting people, and the tradition of Ronald Reagan and George Herbert walker bush and with the common values of george w. Bush and president clinton. Now we have the first republican president in modern times, the first president , really, who is antiimmigrant. And that is just such a change from his own party. It makes it hard to see where we can have shared values. Certainly one piece of that debate which would require of fact, see tion what the best path forward is, is important for us to do. But for now because of the action that the president took, it necessitates us taking action here. As the president anticipated by putting a march 5 deadline on t wed like to do it sooner it. Wed like to do it sooner. This is a vehicle leaving the station. If the republicans need our support for this legislation, which has many good features, and i commend the negotiators on it and was a part of that, unless we can get the same commitment that Mitch Mcconnell gave the Bipartisan Group of legislators in the senate we to watch the rest of the speech, head to our congressional chronicle page. Miller covers politics for the washington time. What in practical terms does 60 mean in the senate. That means any bill that is put up has a shot at becoming the immigration bill if they can get the 60 votes. Theyre going to start with a blank