Political Quotes

“Members of the House, this week we are honored by a visit from His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and are reminded of the good work that people of faith do all around the world. I am pleased to bring before the House at this time the Religious Worker Visa Extension Act of 2008. This measure would reauthorize the Special Immigrant Non-Minister Religious Worker Program, which also allows non-minister religious workers to obtain special immigrant status in the United States so that they may do the work required of their faith. If we don't act, the program will sunset at the end of September of this year. Non-minister religious workers are people of faith who are called to a vocation or who are in traditional religious occupations with a bona fide nonprofit religious organization in the United States. Examples of those called to a vocation include nuns, monks, and sisters. Examples of those in religious occupations include missionaries, counselors, translators, religious instructors, cantors, and other pastoral care providers. The program provides up to 5,000 special immigrant visas per year that religious denominations or organizations in the United States may use to sponsor foreign nationals to perform religious service here.”