On the recordJuly 28, 2021
As part of this en bloc, we have two separate amendments. I will address them separately. The one amendment that was just addressed concerns DACA recipients and whether they should be hired here. In 2018, we had 830,000 Americans sworn in to be new citizens. I don't think anybody can accuse the United States of being shy about letting other people in this country. Obviously, if we make permanent the policy that any young person who is brought here automatically can work their way to be a United States citizen, we will have what we currently see at the southern border. We will have, again and again and again, parents coming here either asking for asylum or sending their children here by themselves, knowing that we are not going to enforce the immigration laws. Now, I think everybody here knows that the day will probably come where something is done with some DACA recipients, but it shouldn't be all DACA recipients. The idea of establishing right now that if you came here, you automatically are--I think the inference is you are going to become a citizen by saying that you can work in the Capitol when these jobs are highly in demand for many of our own citizens is a little ridiculous. One of my amendments removes the provision that says that people who are still in this country illegally can wind up working for the legislature. The second amendment concerns the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.…
