Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman from New York for his leadership on the immigration reform issue and his impassioned words. We also have with us this evening one of the original cosponsors of H.R. 15, a leader on immigration reform, the gentlelady from Washington, Ms. DelBene. {time} 1845 Ms. DelBENE. This is an important moment for immigration reform. My district in Washington State is very representative of why we need reform. We have a northern border and a diverse economy with a rich agricultural industry, including dairy and berry farmers. In the southern part of my district, there are some of the world's most innovative companies, including technology, advanced manufacturing, biotech, and countless startups. These businesses have been making the case that fixing our immigration system must be a top priority for our economy. Whether it is an ultrasound manufacturer who needs an acoustic engineer or a video game developer looking for a 3-D modeler, companies in my district are in need of specialized high-skilled workers. We have to ensure that foreign graduate students can stay here to start new companies or support ongoing research that will lead to future breakthroughs in many areas. Also, farmers need immigration reform in order to find a stable, skilled, and reliable workforce to help us grow our food and our economy. That's why I helped lead the introduction of H.R. 15. This is a bipartisan bill with 190 cosponsors.…”