Political Quotes

“this is a sad occasion for taking up this piece of legislation. I wish it could have been done on a bipartisan basis; but, unfortunately, this is not the case. Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned about the status of legal permanent resident aliens who pay Federal income taxes on their income, wherever earned around the world. Legal permanent residents have always been given the privilege of contributing to campaign elections, but why are my Republican friends now putting on such a prohibition? I suspect, Mr. Speaker, perhaps the vast majority of the permanent resident aliens are Hispanic Americans and Asian Pacific Americans. I would like to look into this to examine what exactly is the basis for this. Legal permanent residents are also required to register for the military draft, and nearly 20,000 serve voluntarily in America's Armed Forces. The record reveals that none have fought harder to protect America's freedoms. In fact, one out of every five Congressional Medal of Honor recipients has been a legal resident permanent alien or a naturalized American citizen. The Supreme Court has already recognized that the first amendment of our Constitution protects the rights of legal immigrants as well as citizens. Mr. Speaker, I cannot even introduce an amendment concerning the rights and privileges of a U.S. national. It is a sad day, Mr. Speaker. It is a sad day.”