Political Quotes

“I just want to urge this body to recognize that these are lawful, permanent residents who are part of our communities. They are our neighbors; they are part of our work force. They engage in producing jobs for others, and I hope that we will vote against this amendment. Legal residents should have the same rights to make political contributions and expenditures as do American citizens. To bar legal immigrants from showing support for the candidates of their choice would be like requiring them to sit out during a demonstration, or denying them the right to hold a rally in a park, or banning them from running a political ad in a newspaper. This is hardly the message about our first amendment freedoms we should send to all 'citizens in training.' Legal immigrants, like U.S. citizens, want to support candidates who they believe make America a better place to live. Though legal immigrants cannot vote in the United States, they have a substantial stake in our country, and should be allowed their full first amendment rights to express their views. A vote for this amendment is nothing more than an attack on the first amendment rights of legal immigrants--I urge my colleagues to vote 'no' on the Bereuter-Wicker amendment.”