Transcripts For CSPAN U.S. House Of Representatives U.S. Hou

CSPAN U.S. House Of Representatives U.S. House Of Representatives February 7, 2018

Our country and our church and by every social and Human Behavior american youth. We strongly urge congress to act and immediately resume work toward a legislative solution. We pledge our support to work on finding an expeditious means of protecting daca youth. As people of faith, we say to daca youth, regardless of your immigration status, you are children of god and welcomed in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church supports you and ll advocate for you. That was september 5, 2017. That was the day that the president issued his statement. Now, having worked with the bishops for a while, for them to have such a definitive statement so quickly is pretty remarkable because sometimes it takes a bit longer for their deliberative process to work. But this came right away. Ok. This is doctors and dreamers. I mentioned about the need for doctors and the ambition and he vocation that these young people were feeling toward becoming doctors and i read this. The association of american medical colleges reports the nations doctors shortage will rise to be between 40,000 and 105,000 by the year 2030. Both the medical American Medical Association and the association of american medical colleges have warned that ending daca will exacerbate this physician shortage in the United States. And they have urged congress to pass legislation to protect dreamers. Are you listening . Listen to what the a. M. A. Says. Estimates have shown that daca would help 50,000 previously ineligible physicians in the coming decades to help address physician shortages and ensure Patient Access to care. Removing those with daca status will particularly create care shortages for rural and other underserved areas. Without these physicians, the a. M. A. Is concerned that the quality of care provided in these communities will be negatively impacted and Patient Access to care will suffer. This is remarkable and im glad i will submit it for the record. I will make sure all of i acknowledged mr. Thompson earlier. Congresswoman grace neap of california is with us napolitano of california is with us. Jackie speier. Jamie raskin of maryland. Val demings i mentioned earlier. Congressman let me see, alma adams i recognized earlier, too. Ms. Barragan, i Brenda Lawrence from of michigan who brings that heartland of America Perspective to it. Ms. Kuster of new hampshire. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice johnson of texas is well as well. Many have come and gone. I acknowledged everybody already. Anybody new on this side . Ok. From bably want to hear victor esparaza. The day i received my employment authorization card through president obamas daca program, is the day i began to live without fear. The uber small and not very well known village of eau claire, michigan is the place that raised me since i was 7 years old. My Elementary School teachers never treated me differently because i came from somewhere else and didnt speak the language at the time and for that, i loved them. I took pride in doing my best in my High School Courses even though i was filled with anxiety for not knowing what would be next in my life after my graduation in the summer of 2008. As my former High School Peers went off to universities and employment, i went off to live in the shadows. Living under the metaphorical shadow referred to driving without proper driving permits as the state you lived in required proof of legal residency when applying for a drivers license. Driving like this meant risking legal problems when heading out to the Grocery Store if you made a driving mistake and got caught for it. Living in the shadows meant no Financial Assistance at you local Community College which pretty much created an impossible financial barrier between your career dreams and you. In the shadows you had no option, but to work in the same farm as your family. And let me tell you, perseverance is a requirement when laboring for below the minimum hourly rate in a sweltering induced condition. This life was my own before daca and i may not be in the shadows any longer, but my family and relatives havent escaped yet. I have been working as an i. T. Support analyst for a midsize drug company for under a year now. This is the best job i have ever had and i dont say this because my hourly pay has increased, i genuinely love what im doing now. Victor tells us. Unless you know me on a deep level, you would think i was just another 26yearold with a promising career and not someone plagued by fear of Trump Campaign promises. This narrative i feel is not only mine, it is owned, shared by hundred thousands of others who also have persevered because of daca. If i could have a conversation with thewould tell him just that, that president elect, i we have persevered. Thank you, victor. Enator durbin has sent us some more stories. Again, hes our hero in the senate. He introduced the bill in 2001, has spent most of his has spent most of his official areer with daca as a priority. He has been a champion for americas working families. Hes about creating jobs, goodpaying jobs for the future, about safety in the workplace. He is the person, along with frank loudenberg, who got smoking off of airlines. Thank you, as one who last week i had eight flights in 10 days. Thank you, senator durbin, for that. He has been a champion in so many, many ways. Champion of the National Institutes of health. Of learning from experience from his own Daughters Health about the health of the biblical power of cure that the National Institutes of health has and appropriator for that. The list of his accomplishments is great and this is one of them. The dreamers. Sent us this story from cesar montelongo. Today, i want to tell you about cesar. When cesar was 10 years old, cesar was 10 years old, his family came to the United States from mexico. He grew up in new mexico where his academic prowess was quickly apparent. He graduated high school with a grade point average above 4. 0 and he was ranked third in his class. Third in his class. He was a member of the chess, french, spanish, physics and science club. He even took College Courses the last two years of high school. Cesar went on to new mexico state uvsity where he was a tripleajor in biology, microbiology and spanish as well as two minors in chemistry and biochemistry. Cesar graduated with distinction and in the honors track with 3. 9 g. P. A. Cesar then earned a masters degree in biology with a minor in molecular biology while also orking as a teaching assistant. At s the first daca student Loyola School of medicine. Ess antiing his third year of this highly Competitive Program and upon completion he will receive a medical degree and doctoral degree in science. Cesar is more than the 30 Daca Recipients in the stretch school of medicine which is the first school to admit daca students. Thank you, loyola Medicine School of medicine. His started in 2014. Daca students do not receive special treatment of the Selection Process and are not eligible for any federal assistance. Many have committed to working in a medically Underserved Community in illinois after graduation. Researching ngo is how the potential implications of urinary diseases. Hes a spanish interpreter at a clinic and mentor for other medical students. Cesar said when i was very young my father became ill and was bedridden for months. He was the primary breadwinner and saw him as our protector. Watching him immobilized and screaming in pain has impacted my world view. Years later my father suffered myopathy. Ic knowing this could have been prevented by education and relatively inexpensive medication was heartbreaking. By that time it made me realize the potential of medicine. Cesars dream of the future, to become a practicing physician and scientist to develop new and improved clinical diagnostic tools so doctors can diagnosis and treat disease faster. Because so many dreamers have enrolled in medical schoolsut beuse of daca they can be deported back to countries where they havent lived since they were children. Will america be a stronger country if we deport them . People like cesar . I dont think so. Do we have our a. M. A. Thing again . Remember that a. M. A. Statement we now want ant william. Bout william grew up in the boston area and then moved to florida. In high school he was an honor student and graduated 3. 8 g. P. A. He was also be a athlete playing High School Soccer and football teams. William is now student at the university of Central Florida where he has a 3. 5 g. P. A. He will graduate in the spring of 2019 with his bachelors degree in criminal justice. Hes also working a fulltime job in order to support himself. Because hes a daca recipient, william isnt eligible for Financial Aid from the federal government. Women withs dream, to enlist in the military williams dream, to enlist in the military, and then to become an officer with his local police department. Thanks to daca, william is on his way to fulfilling his dream. Last year he enlisted in the Army National interest program. Heres a photo of him with his recruiter with the enlistment ceremony. The program, as mentioned earlier, allows immigrants with skills to enroll in the armed services. More than 800 Daca Recipients with these Critical Skills have joined the military through this program. Some Trump Administration officials claimed that daca is taking jobs away from americans. But william d hundreds of other dreamers have vital skills that our military couldnt find elshere william, along with other dreamers, is waiting to ship out to basic training. He continues his undergraduate studies and working full time, awaiting his chance to serve the country he loves. Wilmer wrote this letter. My desire to serve this letter and help people pay back my dues and to lead by example by showing my fellow daca members that anything is possible with hard work, perseverance, and dedication. William and other dreamers have so much to contribute to our country but without the dream act, those with skills with vital interest to our country will be kicked out of the army. They want nothing more than to serve and theyre willing to die for the country they call home. Instead, they could be deported back to countries they havent lived in since they were children. Will america be stronger if we deport william and people like him, who want to stay here and serve in the armed forces . I think the answer is quite clear. No, we wont be strong. Today, again, i want to tell himena. Her family came to the United States from mexico city when she was 9 years old. She lives in the city of houston. We have a lot of houston folks. Jerry mcnerney, thank you for being here. Mr. Mcgovern, i acknowledged y earlier. Raul grijalva, who really has been an outstanding leader on this subject, has joined us, but hes been with us in every meeting today on the subject. Thank you, all, for joining us ere. Congresswoman nita velazquez, the nydia velazquez, the fact she was chair when we passed the dream act. And as mentioned earlier, senator durbin was the chair in the senate. We thank those two leaders once again. Imena was jimena was 9 years old when her family to the cames to the United States. She served in the junior rotc program. Under her leadership, her battalion was named the best battalion in Houston Independent School district. She also served as captain of her High School Soccer team and a regular volunteer at the houston food bank. A real leader, jimena is majoring in communications at the university of houston. Shes interned with United States representative Sheila Jackson lee and city councilmember gallego. She was asked by the mayor of houston to serve as the youngest member of the mayors hispanic advisory board. Shes the first daca recipient to serve on the board. Last week in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, she stepped in to help her Community Just like she has always den. She volunteered at shelters, helping people with fema and red cross applications, she was joined by many other Daca Recipients. Its a stunning story, Daca Recipients helping after urricane harvey. Jimena wrote me a letter this is from senator durbin and asked for only one thing, for President Trump to come meet the daca volunteers and hear their stories. Jimena and other dreamers have so much to contribute to our country. Again irk ask the question, would america be stronger if we deported jimena . I dont think so. Christina ve laz quezz, no relation, i guess, congresswoman velazquez. When she was 6 years old, her family came to the United States from venezuela. She went to Elementary School in madison, wisconsin. She wrote this letter, in it she talked about he childhood and she said, i spent my formative childhood years in the midwest where i learned to assimilate and learned the value this is country was founded on this salt of the earth quality of the people around me and extraordinary kindness between strangers shaped my own values and attitude toward others. Growing up in madison taught me a great deal about compassion, patience, and hard work. Christina was an outstanding student. In high school she was a member of the National Honor society. Youve heard that over and over again. National honor society. And she also was elected Vice President of her class and manager of the track team. She also found time to volunteer. Love the way kids are so topnotch academically, participate in athletics and the rest, and in their spare time prekt the local camp for students, or the food bank, or whatever it is. Christina graduated with honors from miami david Community College and is a student at georgetown majoring in international law, institution, and ethics. She received the president s volunteer Service Awards two years in a row and is a walsh scholar. As a highwaya mom, highwaya wife and fwrore, i can tell you being a wash scholar at georgetown is a big deal. During her time at georgetown, she has interned in the u. S. House of representatives and piloted College Mentorship program at a local high school. In addition to this, she finds time to work two parttime jobs. How many hours do you have in a day, christina . Shes also dedicated two of her undergarage summers to volunteer as a teach for the miami and in san francisco. In both these positions she worked with highachieve, lowincome students providing support for their paths to college. You see, her dream is to be a teacher. Shell graduate from georgetown soon, shes been accepted to teach for america, a National Nonprofit organization that places talented recent graduates in urban and rural schools. Teach for america has 190 teachers who are daca dromers and are teaching our country across the country. In any event, christinas scheduled to start the program next summer but without without daca or the dream act, she a 190 other achers wl be forced to leave their tonights behind. Again, will america be stronger . I dont think. So jesus contreras. He was only 6 years old when he was brought here from mexico by his mother who sought safety from violence. He grew up in houston after graduating from high school as a top student, he obtained daca which allow him to attain his dream of becoming a paramedic. Today hes 22 years old, works as a paramedic in Montgomery County hospital district. In Hurricane Harvey, he worked six straight days, rescuing people from flood areas. People who needed dialysis or insulin, hi he took flood victims to will call hospitals, and afterwards would head home for a quick shower before volunteering at his local church to help with medical needs. He said this is my home, these are my people, i love my career, it gave me an opportunity to help people in ways i never imagined i could. Daca means everything to me. I would lose my license and certifications www. It. I would be sent back to a country i dont know and lose everything. Jesus and other dreamers have so much to contribute to our country but without daca he couldnt have worked to protect his community through Hurricane Harvey and could be deported back to mexico where he hasnt lived since he was 6 years old. Would america be stronger without him . I dont think. So we have another georgetowner here. Luis gonzalez. Luis gonds les, when he was years old, his family came to the yoits from mexico. He had difficult childhood in santa ana, california, after his parents separated and he lived with his mother in a car garage for several years. After his mother remarried, luis lived with an abusive stepfather bum luis overcame the circumstances to become an excellent student he graduated from high school in the top 1 of his class. Now thats a 1 we like

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