Political Quotes

Patrick Leahy: “If there is anything that speaks to the resiliency of this Nation, the greatness of this Nation, it is welcoming…”

On the recordSeptember 11, 2002
If there is anything that speaks to the resiliency of this Nation, the greatness of this Nation, it is welcoming immigrants, saying our borders are not sealed, our borders are open. We want to welcome people who will continue to make this country great, just as did my paternal great-grandparents and my maternal great-grandparents who came to this country not speaking any English but who sought employment and a new life. My grandfathers were stone cutters in Vermont, immigrant stock. My wife was the first generation of her family to be born here in the United States. It is immigrants who have made this Nation strong.
Said by
Patrick Leahy
Democratic · Vermont
Source
govinfo.gov

Editor's note · Context

Discussing the importance of immigration during a memorial event in Vermont on September 11, 2002.

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