Paul Tonko: “Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Representative Polis, for bringing us together for what I believe is very…”

“Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, Representative Polis, for bringing us together for what I believe is very thoughtful discussion about immigration reform, for we are by definition a Nation of immigrants. I believe that the passion that is the luring card to America is that American Dream. People for decades and centuries throughout the history of this Nation have pursued that American Dream with the opportunity to climb those economic ladders, those opportunities that present themselves in this country, where we are emboldened by immigrants; and certainly the military is no exception. Tonight, we will be talking about the empowerment that comes with H.R. 15, which is a very thoughtful piece of legislation. I am a cosponsor on that legislation. I believe it is important for us to follow suit that the bipartisan spirit in the Senate has already initiated. The opportunities for us to allow for, some suggest, 11 million, if not more, immigrants to pursue that path to citizenship is an empowerment tool. It is great for our economic recovery. As was mentioned by Representative Polis, it provides for a great dent in our deficit. It allows for us over the 20 years to come to experience tens of billions of reduction in the deficit, which is no short feat to be ignored. It is important for us to understand the economic vitality that sound immigration reform produces for this Nation. We are in need of many of the skill sets that our immigrants bring.…”