On the recordFebruary 8, 2018
I thank the gentlewoman for yielding to me. Mr. Speaker, the Speaker of the House is supposed to be the Speaker of this entire House. And the entire will of this House on the Democratic side and Republican side is to pass a DACA bill but we are running out of time. Instead of following the bipartisan consensus of the majority in this House, this Speaker is yielding to the will of the majority party's anti-immigration fringe unilaterally, and that fringe is led by this President. If we continue to bend to this fringe, this body, this shiny beacon on a hill, this hopefulness in this country will go dark. The Senate was able to pass the bipartisan agreement due to the hard promise of Leader McConnell and the good work of our Democratic leadership as well to allow--simply allow--the body to vote on a DACA bill. We, however, have no such commitment on this side. 22,000 dreamers in the State of New Jersey: they are doctors, they are lawyers, they are connected to their churches, they are parents, they are teachers, they are business owners. I spent time in a church where a Christian, tithe-paying immigrant was taken from his family and put in detention. He was not a threat to anyone. My constituents did not send me here to deport young people who are American and know no other country. I ask you, I beg you, I implore you: Do your job. Save these DREAMers, and until we do, I urge a ``no'' on this vote.
