On the recordMarch 12, 2014
Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to the ENFORCE Act. For 20 years, our immigration system has been left to rot due to congressional inaction. As a result, today we have over 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the shadows. After 20 years of neglect, we finally have a commonsense immigration reform package that has already passed the Senate with bipartisan support and has an unprecedented array of support from religious groups, law enforcement, and business leaders throughout the country. It is rare to find a subject that labor leaders and the Chamber of Commerce can agree on, but both have called on Congress to promptly pass comprehensive immigration reform. Speaker Boehner and the House Republican leadership have ignored the millions of voices calling for reform, refusing even to bring it up for a vote. Now, today, we are preparing to vote on the ENFORCE Act, legislation that would have the practical effect of ripping millions of young men and women away from the only home they have ever known. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program has allowed countless undocumented youth to remain in the U.S. to attend our schools and to contribute to our economy. The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.
