THE SENATOR FROM ILLINOIS IS RECOGNIZED.
MR. DURBIN: MR. PRESIDENT, MANY SPEECHES ARE MADE ON THE FLOOR.
MANY AMENDMENTS ARE OFFERED. MANY BILLS AND MANY RESOLUTIONS,
VERY FEW OF THEM CAUSE A RIPPLE. A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE MAY FOLLOW
THEM CLOSELY. A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE MAY CARE. THE "DREAM" ACT IS
A DIFFERENT THING. THE "DREAM" ACT IS A BILL WHICH I THOUGHT
ABOUT AND INTRODUCED YEARS AGO AND HAS FINALLY REACHED THIS
MOMENT OF TRUTH WHERE IT COMES TO THE FLOOR OF THE UNITED
STATES SENATE. THE REASON WHY THIS BILL WILL BE NOTICED IS THAT
LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE ACROSS AMERICA KNOW THAT
THEIR FATE AND FUTURE WILL BE DETERMINED BY THIS VOTE.
YESTERDAY I HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THREE OF THESE YOUNG
PEOPLE. THE CONGRESSMAN FROM THE STATE OF COLORADO SENT SOUGHT
A PRESS RELEASE ARGUING THAT THESE THREE YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD BE
ARRESTED IN THE UNITED STATES CAPITAL. OF COURSE HE DIDN'T TAKE
THE TIME TO DETERMINE THAT THEY ARE ALL HERE NOW WITH THE UN
UNDERSTANDING, DISCLOSURE, AND APPROVAL OF OUR LEGAL PROCESS.
BUT HIS PRESS RELEASE IS AN INDICATION OF HOW BADLY THIS DEBATE
IS GOING IN AMERICA. TO TURN ON THESE CHILDREN AND TREAT THEM
AS CRIMINALS IS AN INDICATION OF THE LEVEL OF EMOTION AND IN
SOME CASES BIGOTRY AND HATRED THAT IS INVOLVED IN THIS DEBATE.
I WANT TO TELL YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, AMERICA IS BETTER THAN THAT.
AMERICA IS A BETTER NATION THAN WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE LIKES OF
THAT CONGRESSMAN. WHAT CRIME DID THESE CHILDREN COMMIT?
THEY COMMITTED THE CRIME OF OBEYING THEIR PARENTS, FOLLOWING
THEIR PARENTS TO THIS COUNTRY. DO YOU THINK THERE WAS A VOTE IN
THE HOUSEHOLD ABOUT THEIR FU FUTURE?
I DON'T THINK SO. MOM AND DAD SAID, WE'RE LEAVING. THE KIDS
PACKED THEIR SUITCASES AND FOLLOW. THAT'S THEIR CRIME. THAT'S
THE ONLY CRIME THAT YOU CAN POINT TO. AND WHAT DID THEY DO
AFTER THEY GOT HERE?
TO QUALIFY UNDER THE "DREAM" AC ACT, THEY HAD TO MAKE CERTAIN
THAT THEY DIDN'T COMMIT A CRIME WHILE THEY WERE LIVING IN
AMERICA. GOOD MORAL CHARACTER AND BEAT THE ODDS BY GRADUATING
FROM HIGH SCHOOL. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN QUALIFY FOR
THIS. AND THEN WHAT DO WE SAY?
NOT ENOUGH. IF YOU WANT TO BE LEGAL IN AMERICA, YOU HAVE TO DO
ONE OF
TWO THINGS: VOLUNTEER TO SERVE IN OUR MILITARY, TO RISK YOUR
LIFE FOR AMERICA, THEN WE'LL GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO BE CITIZENS.
THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR SOME. SOME ARGUE, NO, WE DON'T WANT
THEM IN OUR MILITARY. WE DON'T NEED THEM. WELL, THE PEOPLE
INVOLVED IN OUR MILITARY KNOW BETTER. THEY KNOW THAT THESE ARE
THE KIND OF BRIGHT, PROMISING YOUNG PEOPLE WHO CAN SERVE OUR
COUNTRY WITH DISTINCTION, AND THEY TELL US THAT. AND WHAT ELSE
COULD THEY DO?
PURSUE THEIR EDUCATION TO SHOW THAT THEY'RE SERIOUS ABOUT
MAKING SOMETHING OF THEIR LIVES. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT THEY
CAN HAVE A CHANCE. THAT'S WHAT THE "DREAM" AACT IS ALL B I
COULD GO THROUGH FOR AN HOUR OR MORE THE STORIES OF THESE YOUNG
PEOPLE THAT I'VE ME MET. THEY ARE HOPEFUL AND HEARTBREAKING AT
THE SAME TIME. HOPEFUL STORIES BECAUSE THESE ARE YOUNG PEOPLE
WHO HAVE THE SAME DREAMS THAT MY CHILDREN HAVE, THE SAME DREAMS
THAT EVERY AMERICAN HAS -- TO HAVE A GOOD LIFE, A GOOD FAMILY,
DO SOMETHING IMPORTANT IN YOUR LI LIFE. THAT'S ALL THEY WANT.
THE YOUNG WOMAN FROM INDIA THAT I MET IN CHICAGO WHO WANTS TO
BE A DENTIST, THE YOUNG MAN FROM MEXICO WHO IS NOW PURSUING HIS
GRADUATE DEGREE IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE TO WANTS TO GO INTO
RESEARCH, THE YOUNG GIRL FROM TEXAS WHO IS A GRADUATE OF NU
NURSING SCHOOL BUT CAN'T FIND A JOB BECAUSE SHE IS A PERSON
WITHOUT A COUNTRY, THE TEACHERS -- TOMORROW'S TEACHERS AND
ENGINEERS AND SCIENTISTS. ALL THEY'RE ASKING FOR IS A CHANCE.
THAT IS THE HOPEFUL SIDE OF IT. THE HEARTBREAKING SIDE OF IT IS
THESE ARE KIDS WITHOUT A CO COUNTRY. THEY HAVE NOWHERE TO TURN.
TAM TRAN, WHO IS IN THE GALLERY TODAY AND JOINED ME YESTERDAY,
WHAT AN ARDUOUS JOURNEY SHE'S BEEN THROUGH. STARTING IN
VIETNAM, GOING TO GERMANY, SCMG TO THE UNITED STATES. HER
FAMILY CAN'T RETURN TO VIETNAM AND FACE PERSECUTION, AND
GERMANY WON'T HAVE HER. SHE DOESN'T EVEN SPEAK GERMAN AND OUR
GOVERNMENT TELLS HER, LEAVE. SHE JUST GRADUATED FROM UCLA. SHE
WANTED TO BE A PROFESSOR. LEAVE, WE DON'T WANT YOU. IS THAT THE MESSAGE?
IF IT IS, IT IS THE WRONG MESSAGE BECAUSE TIME AND AGAIN WE ARE
TOLD THAT WE NEED TALENT IN AMERICA TO BE A SUCCESSFUL,
PROSPEROUS NATION. WE NEED TO BRING IN TALENT FROM
OVERSEAS AND H-1B VISAS. HOW CAN WE AT ONE SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT
SAY THAT WE NEED MORTALITY AND THEN TURN THESE -- MORE TALENT
AND THEN TURN THESE YOUNG PEOPLE AWAY?
GIVE THEM A CHANCE. GIVE THEM HOPE. GIVE THEM CHANCE TO PROVE
THEMSELVES TO THIS COUNTRY. THIS BILL PUTS THEM THROUGH A LONG
PROCESS. IT WON'T BE EASY. SOME OF THEM WON'T MAKE T MOST OF
THEM WON'T MAKE T BUT THOSE WHO DO WILL MAKE THIS A BETTER
NATION. AND, MR. PRESIDENT, ISN'T THAT WHAT WE SHOULD BE ABOUT?
I RESERVE THE BALANCE OF MY TIME.
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