Richard Pombo: “I would just like to close the debate by bringing us home to what the issue is that we are debating. We are debating…”

“I would just like to close the debate by bringing us home to what the issue is that we are debating. We are debating going from 2 people in 100 being refused a visa to come to the United States as a tourist or on legitimate business purposes, and to go from 2 people out of 100 to 3 people out of 100 being refused and being refused on, I would argue, an arbitrary basis as to whether or not they meet an arbitrary standard that is set up by the person sitting across a desk from them. Now I have not come at this with somewhat of a unique perspective from most of my colleagues, and I will fully admit I am the only Portuguese Member of the House of Representatives, of Portuguese descent. My grandparents immigrated here from Portugal, and I am very proud of that. But I can tell my colleagues that there is a difference between whether or not my relatives can come over on a tourist visa or not, and that does mean something to me and my family, and I think that this is a very important amendment. I think that it is fair. All I am asking my colleagues to do is to allow people to come in for legitimate reasons.”