On the recordMarch 26, 2014
I think what we are engaging on today has the potential of being truly historic. We need a vote on immigration reform. Several weeks ago, I was home in the district I represent. I go home every week. The Secretary of Commerce was visiting in Silicon Valley. She gave a good speech. After she finished her speech, she invited questions. The very first question was from a young man--a scientist-- who said this: I started a company. I am about to hire four Americans. But my visa is up next month. What am I supposed to do? As I was talking to that young man, another young man came forward-- another scientist who has just formed a company. He is about to go into a hiring mode, but his visa was about up. So when you take a look and listen to the people in Silicon Valley saying we are going to lose jobs in America because we have a dysfunctional immigration system, that shows the problem that we have allowed to fester. Recently, I met with farmers. They told me that they are not planting crops this year because they can't identify who is going to pick those crops. About 80 percent of the migrant farmworkers in America are here without their proper documents. Do I think that is a good situation? No, I do not. A number of years ago, when I chaired the Immigration Subcommittee, we had a wonderful witness, Dr. Richard Land, then the head of the Southern Baptist Convention, and this was his testimony. He said: We had for many years two signs at the southern border.…
