Political Quotes

“Madam President, 2 years ago, I embarked on a legislative mission to pass a bill called the DREAM Act. The purpose of the DREAM Act was to give to young people who came to this country as children, and who were raised in the United States, who have graduated high school, who have done a well and made a good life in this country, a chance to become legal residents in the United States of America. They are long-term U.S. residents. They have good moral character. They have graduated high school, and we say: If you will complete at least 2 years of college and military service in good standing, we will give you a chance to become legal. There are thousands of young people who fit this description in the United States. They were brought here as kids. If their parents came to the United States and overstayed a visa or crossed the border when they shouldn't have, these children shouldn't be held accountable. They were children. We don't hold children accountable for any wrongdoing by their parents. They grew up here, they pledge allegiance to the flag in their classrooms here, they sing our national anthem, and many of them speak no other language other than English. The purpose of the DREAM Act is that we should not punish children for their parents' actions. That is not the American way. Instead, the DREAM Act says to these students: America is going to give you a chance, a chance to continue living here and to make this an even better nation.…”