Jose Luis Correa: “Again, I stand on this floor to speak about the Dreamers, and this time I ask a simple question: What happened? For…”

“Again, I stand on this floor to speak about the Dreamers, and this time I ask a simple question: What happened? For months here in Washington, we couldn't pass a budget; we refused to pass a budget. Numerous continuing resolutions were brought up. We even shut down government, and the press talked about the Dreamers. It was all about the Dreamers. Yet, last week, after the budget spending caps were raised for both military and nonmilitary expenditures, we got a budget, and that was a budget that was voted on by both Democrats and Republicans. So, I guess, ladies and gentlemen, this was not about the Dreamers because we still don't have a fix for the Dreamers. Yet 80 percent of our public supports a fix for the Dreamers; 80 percent of our public supports a pathway to citizenship for our Dreamers; and even our President wants a fix for the Dreamers. Why? Because all of us recognize that Dreamers are soldiers, teachers, police officers. They are, effectively, our friends and our neighbors. Yet here we are again today, not sure of the future for Dreamers in this country. Folks, it is time to stop using Dreamers as political pawns in a bigger political chess game. Last week, at the State of the Union, my guest was a Dreamer from my district. She is a college student majoring in chemistry, and I say to all of you, she is going to make a tremendous scientist. We need scientists in this country.…”