On the recordJune 18, 2012
more than two centuries ago, in the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers wrote that ``all men are created equal.'' America has sometimes fallen short of that ideal, but the history of our country has been a slow march toward equality for all. We have seen Presidents play a key role in expanding freedom and equality. Who can forget Harry Truman's desegregation of the military, which set the stage for a Supreme Court decision and a civil rights era that has literally changed the face of America? Last Friday was another case in point. President Barack Obama declared that his administration will no longer deport immigrant students who grew up in America. This action will give these young immigrants the chance to come out of the shadows and be part of the only country they have ever called home. With that decisive executive decision, America took another step toward fulfilling the Founders' promise of justice for all. It has been 11 years--11 years--since I first introduced the DREAM Act--legislation that would allow a select group of immigrant students with real potential to contribute more fully to America. The DREAM Act would give these students a chance to earn citizenship if they came to the United States as children, they have been long-term U.S. residents, they have good moral character, graduate from high school, and either complete 2 years of military service or 2 years of college. The DREAM Act has a history of broad bipartisan support.…





