On the recordFebruary 4, 2013
I thank the gentlelady from Texas for her very pointed observations on a variety of different issues concerning the comprehensive immigration reform issue. I would just like to amplify for a moment one point that was made as it relates to the significance of the diversity visa lottery program. It's a program that in its conception is designed to make sure that immigrants from underrepresented parts of the world have an opportunity to come to America and participate in the American Dream. And in the context of this diversity visa lottery program, approximately 20 percent of the African immigrants who are here in this country are here as a result of participating in that program. It has been an instrumental vehicle for ensuring diversity as it relates to the presence of immigrants from the African continent, who by the way, statistics have shown, tend to be more educated in their attainment of college degrees than any other immigrant group. As a result, they are very much contributing to moving the society forward. And for that reason I believe it will be important for the CBC to continue to stand up for this program as we move forward with comprehensive immigration reform, and so I thank the gentlelady for those observations.
