On the recordJuly 30, 2014
I will just thank all of the people who worked so hard on this, certainly on both sides of the aisle, and, most especially, Mr. Blumenauer, who has just been ceaseless in his efforts to make sure that these translators were not left behind and not forgotten. A note on the future: I am happy to support this bill for 1,000 visas today. However, it is reported that there are 5,000 translators backlogged. Now, we don't know, in that 5,000, some may have been murdered already, some may have given up, or some may have gone elsewhere. We don't know that we are going to need an additional number of visas, but we need to open our hearts in the same spirit of bipartisanship that if we fall short, we are going to have to come together as a country. Because we all know, not only is this the right thing to do morally, but for our troops in the field it is essential. People have to know in other countries that if they step forward to assist the United States, the United States will honor its promises to them. That is why this bill is so important, not only for what it does, but what it stands for, and why I urge its adoption. With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
