Summer Lee

The American people deserve the sense of trust and respect, both as they travel, but also for the employees and the officers, as I call them, that they work for.

I might have a parliamentary inquiry.

So my question to you is, do you see the value in taking the comprehensive approach and regularizing family members, agricultural workers, tech workers, other skilled workers that really reins in what I think our friends have been speaking…

We are really talking about human lives. And I believe that we have held human lives in the balance too long.

Whenever we make steps toward improving lives and act as legislators, we are really doing the right thing because that is a challenge and the charge that we have been given in this Congress, is to come to help fix America's problems.

Congress' duty is to fix these kinds of problems, even if they are pretty tough.

We cannot move forward if we have motions on the floor of the House, for example, voted enthusiastically to unfund the funding that would process DREAM Act children.

Our immigration problem is a National problem deserving of a National, comprehensive solution.

I personally as the Ranking Member offer this as a component and agree with you that we could have a comprehensive approach, but I think this is the strongest component of border security which is H.R. 1417.

I think H.R. 1417 speaks directly to that by calling upon a roadmap and metrics.

Do we really need border security to move forward on immigration?

We also thought it was important because we know that our citizens travel and business persons travel that we actually sited issues dealing with civil liberties as you come across the border.

I think you are speaking to the approach that H.R. 1417 is taking.

I think that is a good point.

Thank you, Madam Chairwoman, very much. Obviously I am delighted to see Texas represented in a very large way in this committee and at the panel in welcoming Senator Cornyn, my Senator.

Preclearance is to get rid of the barriers so that your vote can be unfettered when you go to the polls

Shouldn't we be brave enough to acknowledge that if any state law reflects institutional racism, that preclearance of laws affecting the right to vote in those states should be required?

Your concern about 215 is totally justified.

This has been not eye-opening, but it raises more questions than probably it gives answers.

If we cannot prove the necessity of this megadata collecting, then why are we necessarily doing it?

We must also have the premise and the respect for the civil liberties of the American people.

In some cases Congress can play a bully pulpit role, in terms of providing kind of guidance.

What do we need to have in that bill of particulars for them to begin reforming their process?

I think this is enormously important hearing and an important issue.

I think we have to be aggressive in both our diplomacy and the protection of the people of the United States of America.