Xavier Becerra: “I want to join in this bipartisan effort to try to move forward legislation which is not only important but precious to…”

“I want to join in this bipartisan effort to try to move forward legislation which is not only important but precious to many people in this country who are keen to be American citizens. H.R. 2608, the SSI Extension for Elderly and Disabled Refugees Act, is something that won't affect most Americans because most of us don't have to worry about this. But if you are a Russian Jew who was escaping persecution in the former Soviet Union, if you're one of the minority populations in Somalia that escaped the persecution going on there, or if you're a former Yugoslav who was trying to leave the devastation that was occurring in the former Yugoslavian countries that now have become part of the Balkans and the war that we saw in the Balkans, or if you're an Iraqi Kurd who is trying to escape the ill effects of what was going on during the Saddam Hussein era, then perhaps you'd understand why this is so important, because these are individuals who, because of the good graces of the American people, have an opportunity to start a life here, even at their late stage in life, and have an opportunity to recognize and appreciate our freedoms.”