Janice Schakowsky: “if legal permanent residents are good enough to pay taxes, to work in our country and to serve in our military service…”

“if legal permanent residents are good enough to pay taxes, to work in our country and to serve in our military service, then we are certainly also made better by their voice, and I would urge defeat of this amendment. I rise to urge my colleagues to oppose the Bereuter/Wicker amendment. Cutting legal permanent residents access to the political process is absolutely the wrong thing to do Legal permanent residents are immigrants who have made the commitment to become citizens of the United States and are in the middle of the process towards full citizenship. They have made the commitment, not only to come to this country and make a better life for themselves and their family but, through the goods and services, jobs and taxes that their labors produce, they have made the commitment to make this country better for all of us. And they have given more than that. Legal permanent residents are eligible for the draft, have served in the U.S. military and served with great distinction in defense of the rights that every American holds dear. Like immigrants for generations, they came to this country and participated and this country is much better for it. The Bereuter/Wicker amendment, however, would limit their participation. The Bereuter/Wicker amendment says that legal permanent residents--people who we ask to put their life on the line--aren't good enough to support the people who would put them on that line. That's wrong.”