On the recordSeptember 20, 2012
For 12 years, my greatest ambition here in Congress has been my membership in Judiciary and my activities of trying to bring real immigration reform that's a plus to our country. My district has two notable areas: one, the agricultural areas that so desperately need a guest worker program; the other, throughout San Diego and Orange County, the high-tech areas that in many ways rival the best in the world, that, in fact, run out of H-1Bs on the day that they're offered. So I support the STEM skills reform because it's necessary. But let me just go through two or three things quickly that are so obvious here in this debate. One is: People who are detractors from this say, We'd love to have it; we simply want an expansion in the total number of immigrants. Let's understand, America allows more people to immigrate to our shores than the entire rest of the world, combined, does to theirs. We're already the most generous, and there has to be a number and that number has been set. Secondly, it doesn't take away from anyone who has a valid need or reason to come here. It's not going to limit reunification. It's not going to limit those who have been tortured or in some other way affected in their foreign country.…
