To provide for American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas to be treated as States for certain criminal justice programs.

I thank the gentleman for yielding me 1 minute. I am about to lose my magic 1 minute, and I lament that fact, but it is a fact. But I have not lost it yet.

I am going to use that minute to speak for children who didn't break the law, who had no concept of violating laws. Their parents brought them here like millions of other children who now live in America, and parents who live in America. They were Irish, they were Polish, they were German, they were Asian, they were South Americans, they were Africans. Their parents brought them to this country, and they grew up in this country and they thought to themselves, I am proud to be an American. And I am sure they sing with Lee Greenwood, I am proud to stand up next to you. And they stand next to us almost every day. We may not know who they are, but they go to school, they serve in our Armed Forces. They participate, and they pay taxes. Some of them are far too young to do that. Some of them know no country except the United States of America. And they feel blessed.

Mr. Speaker, I understand that immigration is an issue that divides many of us in this House. It is an issue that arouses passion. But the test of governing responsibly is whether even in the face of those divisions we can come together to make progress on the basis of a principle that ought to be universal.

I said to my caucus tonight that I had been chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe for 10 years and served on that commission for almost 20. That commission, as some of you know, is charged with overseeing the implementation of the Helsinki Final Act. The Helsinki Final Act, of course, was signed by President Ford in the summer of 1975. What that act tried to accomplish was a universal understanding of human rights and how nations treated their own citizens, and how we would look to those nations and not say it is simply their business, because if they abused their citizens, it was felt after World War II, that they might soon abuse other citizens not within their borders.

And so we said we are our brother's keeper. We do need to make sure that people throughout this world are treated equally. And I have traveled to many countries behind the Iron Curtain over and over and over with my good friend Frank Wolf and others. Mr. Smith from New Jersey, particularly. We went to those countries and said, Treat people fairly.

As I was thinking about this impending debate, I thought to myself, what if some other country were taking children who had grown up, gone to school, were in the military, were going to college, and we were kicking them out of the country because their parents had come from another land. Yes, those parents broke the law, and this is not about excusing breaking the law. These children are not culpable. These young people came here because as all of us went anywhere. I am in Maryland. Why am I a Maryland citizen? I am a Maryland citizen because my stepfather was in the United States Air Force and the United States Air Force transferred him to Andrews Air Force base, and so we moved to Maryland, not because I chose to move to Maryland but because my stepfather and mother moved to Maryland, and they brought me with them. That is who we are talking about. That is who we are talking about.

One of those principles is I believe that individuals who came to this country as undocumented minors and have lived their lives in America should not suffer because of the actions over which they had no control that brought them to the United States. We all universally adopt that principle. No one holds children culpable for the wrongdoing of their parents unless somehow those children are involved themselves in the perpetration of wrongdoing. So this principle is well known to all of us and ought to be followed. That is the idea behind this legislation.

We talk about the American Dream. We have a statue in the harbor in New York. She has a light that she lifts to all the world. And we say:

Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me.

And America says to the world: I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

We are the keepers of the golden door.

When the ambassador from Ireland, and we have many Irish among us, came and spoke, one of the things he said is: Deal with this issue. Deal with it because there are Irish among us who perhaps came because their parents saw opportunity at a time of great strife in their land and came to America.

My father came at the age of 32 in 1934 from Denmark to seek opportunity in this country. There are so many of us among this group of 435 who could give similar stories. Our parents came here to seek opportunity. Some came, and our grandparents came, when there was no significant control on their coming here. As immigration has grown, we have had to rightfully make restrictions. And I am one who believes that we need to know who comes into the United States of America.

Our choice tonight is between allowing those young people to live their lives in the shadows of America or ensuring that those who want to serve our country and contribute to our economy can stay in the country that is their home. They perceive it to be their home.

They were children in school, in our neighborhoods, in our boys' and girls' clubs, who played on our athletic fields, and who think of themselves as Americans.

For those young people who have been in our country for 5 continuous years before the enactment of this bill, this is not an inducement to come here; this is not an inducement for somebody to bring their children here. This is to say to those children who are here: We are going to incorporate you if you play by the rules in an opportunity, in this land that we call the land of opportunity.

The DREAM Act provides for 6 years of conditional legal status but only if they have completed high school or a GED during those years. Applicants must finish 2 years of college or serve 2 years in the military and must not commit any crime. We are not going to allow wrongdoers. These are people who are playing by the rules; and if they meet those requirements, they will be able to earn permanent residence and be allowed to apply for citizenship.

Now, understand again that these are young people who broke no law. These are young people who had no intent to break the law. These are young people who have played by the rules, who have graduated from high school, who have gotten GEDs or who are about to do so in order to qualify. In a competitive world, America's openness to immigration is one, frankly, of its strengths, not of its weaknesses. The beneficiaries of the DREAM Act are the kind of new Americans we want-- young people who speak English, who abide by the law and value education, and in many cases, who are willing to risk their lives for America as members of the Armed Forces.

Our military understands the value of a new pool of motivated young men and women committed to serving their country. Clifford Stanley, the Defense Undersecretary in charge of personnel, said that failing to pass this legislation would be, in his words, ``unconscionable.''

Economists also understand the value of these immigrants. A UCLA study found that their income will reach as high as $3.6 trillion over the course of their lives. They're very young now, so that may be 70 or 80 years, which is a long time; but it's an indication of their willingness, as it is of the millions and millions of immigrants throughout our history, to add to the value of America--a Nation, we call ourselves, of immigrants like my father. That's why the DREAM Act is

in keeping with the principles that have made America strong and so dynamic.

Some of you may know Michael Gerson personally. He was George Bush's speechwriter. I hope you had the opportunity to read the column that appeared just two days ago. If you didn't, let me quote from it.

``It is a principle of democratic capitalism . . . that ambitious human beings are not just mouths but hands and brains. They are a resource--the main source of future wealth.''

He urged his party, his Republican Party, to reach out in this instance of which we are not talking about forgiving wrongdoing to young people who have not done anything wrong. Let us stress that over and over. I urge my colleagues to take advantage of that resource, to do what is both in America's interest and in keeping with America's fairness.

Some of you know Jeb Bush. I don't know Jeb Bush personally; but Governor Bush--the Governor of Florida twice--has been mentioned as a possible Presidential candidate.

``I think politicians,'' those of us who serve in public office, ``should be supporting the DREAM Act,'' said Governor Bush. ``I think it's a good policy. I think the military is a most impressive and important institution in this country.'' Those who serve and those who are willing to serve should be given the opportunity--again, not speaking of wrongdoers.

I hope all of my colleagues hear this and all who are listening. Michael Gerson is George Bush's speechwriter. He says at another point in this article, ``It would be difficult to define a more sympathetic group of potential Americans; and the choice here is not between the presence of these young immigrants and their absence. No one is proposing the mass deportation of this particular group.'' These are children who have done nothing wrong and who would be the last on the target lists of even the most enthusiastic immigration restrictionists. In the words of Michael Gerson, ``The actual choice is between allowing these young men and women to develop their talents and serve in the military or not.''

Ladies and gentlemen, I urge my colleagues: Let us join that Lady in the harbor, who lifts her lamp beside this golden door, and understand why the millions and millions and millions and millions of people came from across this Earth to seek opportunity in this great and generous land. Let us reflect that tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I oppose this bill. The DREAM Act is a nightmare for the American people. It insults American workers, American taxpayers, and anyone who believes in the rule of law. How can we consider amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants when just last Friday, the Department of Labor reported that unemployment in America jumped up to 9.8 percent? This is the 19th straight month, a new record where the jobless rate has stayed above 9 percent.

The American people want us to focus on creating jobs and getting Americans back to work. Instead, the Democrats have brought the DREAM Act to the floor. This bill prevents Americans from getting jobs since millions of illegal immigrants will become eligible to work legally in the United States. American workers should not have to compete with illegal workers for scarce jobs.

Over 27 million Americans are out of work, have given up looking for work, or are underemployed. The percent of Hispanics out of work last month rose to 13 percent, and the unemployment rate for black Americans has hit 16 percent. Don't the Democrats know this? Are they listening to the voters? Do they care? This bill proves that there is a total disconnect between the Democratic Party and the American people.

The majority has brought this bill to the floor without holding any hearings on its impact and without committee approval, so Members don't know how the bill would work or not work. In fact, the text we are considering tonight was only introduced last night.

As usual under the Democratic regime, no amendments are allowed. They have even eliminated the one motion Republicans are supposedly guaranteed as a way to address the people's concerns, the motion to recommit. What happened to the Democrats' promise to give Americans 24 hours to read the bills? And what happened to their promise of an open and fair process? These and other promises disappeared long before the election, which is another reason the election turned out as it did.

The bill's supporters imply that the DREAM Act only applies to kids in schools. But in reality, the bill applies to illegal immigrants up to the age of 30. Those are pretty old kids. And once these individuals become U.S. citizens, they can petition for their illegal immigrant parents and adult brothers and sisters to be legalize who will bring in others in an endless chain.

According to the Migration Policy Institute, the DREAM Act would mean amnesty for over 2 million illegal immigrants, but that number likely will be higher since many illegal immigrants will fraudulently claim they came here as children or are under 30, and the Federal Government has no way to check whether their claims are true or not. Such massive fraud occurred after the 1986 amnesty for illegal immigrants who claimed that they were agricultural workers. Studies found two-thirds of all applications for the 1986 amnesty were fraudulent. DREAM Act applicants don't even have to comply with the requirements for amnesty set out in the bill. They can get a waiver for hardship at the discretion of the Department of Homeland Security. Under this administration, which favors mass amnesty, we can assume that nearly everyone who applies will get a hardship pass.

The DREAM Act also makes it possible for almost any illegal immigrant to evade the law. Once they file an application, no matter how fraudulent, the Federal Government is prohibited from deporting them. The bill requires that background checks be conducted on the beneficiaries, but it will be almost impossible for the Federal Government to verify whether someone is who they say they are and whether they meet the requirements of the bill. Furthermore, any discussion of amnesty encourages additional illegal immigration. Already at least 1 million illegal immigrants cross our borders each year. The bill will push that number even higher.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the bill will increase deficits after 2020. And if the health care debate is any indication of how CBO scores bills, then the actual cost of the DREAM Act will, of course, be much higher. And once a DREAM Act beneficiary obtains lawful status, they are automatically exempt from the current 5-year waiting period to receive public welfare benefits, so the cost of welfare benefits will be huge.

We all know that the point of this bill is to give amnesty to anyone who is in the country illegally and who is under 30 years old. Illegal immigrants get amnesty if they have attended college or served in the military. Illegal immigrants get amnesty if they can show hardship if they are sent home. Illegal immigrants get to stay if they just claim to be eligible under this legislation. Illegal immigrants get amnesty if they use fraudulent documents, because the Federal Government has no way to check millions of claims. Illegal immigrants get amnesty even if they have committed crimes, like driving under the influence, passport fraud, and visa fraud. This is a bill that gives amnesty to 2 million or more people in the country illegally. It encourages fraud and more illegal immigration on a massive scale.

There have been no hearings on this bill, no amendments allowed, and those who are opposed only have 30 minutes to discuss this bill. This is a desecration of the democratic process and an insult to Americans who believe in the rule of law. The DREAM Act hurts millions of Americans who have lost their jobs, are underemployed, or are threatened with layoffs. It puts the interests of illegal immigrants ahead of those law-abiding Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to strongly oppose this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King), the ranking member of the Immigration Subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my friend from Virginia (Mr. Goodlatte), who is the vice-ranking member of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Graves).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Rohrabacher).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 15 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, the gentleman who just spoke has a good point. We need to have compassion, but our compassion should be reserved for American workers, and we should put the interests of American workers ahead of the interests of illegal immigrants.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston).

Mr. Speaker, may I ask how much time remains on each side?

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Johnson).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Chaffetz), who is a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I will continue to reserve the balance of my time until the time on both sides is roughly equal.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Daniel E. Lungren), a senior member of the Judiciary Committee and a former Attorney General of California.

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. King), a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, 1 month ago the American people told Congress to change course, to put the American people first, to generate jobs, and to strengthen the economy. Unfortunately, it seems that some Democrats have learned nothing and forgotten everything about what the American people want.

We are considering major legislation that the American people couldn't read until a few hours ago. The Democrats refused to hold any hearings on this bill, and no amendments have been allowed. It is the result of a closed and undemocratic process.

We all know that the point of this bill is to give amnesty to almost everyone who is in the country illegally and who is under 30. Illegal immigrants get amnesty if they can show hardship if they are sent home. Illegal immigrants can stay if they just claim to be eligible under this legislation. Illegal immigrants get amnesty if they use fraudulent documents because the Federal Government has no way to check millions of claims. Illegal immigrants get amnesty even if they have committed crimes like DUI, document fraud, and visa fraud.

This is a bill that gives amnesty to more than 2 million people who are in the country illegally. It encourages fraud and even more illegal immigration.

Today, Americans face an unemployment rate of 9.8 percent, a new record. That number has now topped 9.5 percent for 16 months, the longest period since the Great Depression. The DREAM Act means more competition for American workers who are in need of those jobs. It puts the interests of illegal immigrants ahead of the interests of American citizens.

I urge my colleagues to put the American people first, and oppose this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1756, I call up the bill (H.R. 5281) to amend title 28, United States Code, to clarify and improve certain provisions relating to the removal of litigation against Federal officers or agencies to Federal courts, and for other purposes, with the Senate amendments thereto, and I have a motion at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, ladies and gentlemen of the House, I have heard so much misinformation about the DREAM Act that I hardly know where to begin. First of all, this is not a new bill. It has existed for a decade. It is a bipartisan bill to address the plight of children who were brought to the United States as undocumented immigrants and grew up here.

And this bill has been introduced in every Congress, starting on May 21, 2001, there was a hearing. The Senate, the other body, heard a hearing on the bill, August 1, it was started out. In 2003, April 19, the bill was reintroduced by our colleague from California (Mr. Berman). On July 31, it was again reintroduced into the Senate. On April 6, our colleagues on the other side of the aisle introduced the bill. November 18, 2005, a Senator from Illinois introduced the bill. I've got two pages of bills. We have had five hearings.

So for anybody to say there hasn't been due process on this bill, I hope they feel gently corrected by the research that my staff has done to make it clear that there has been an extensive legislative history on this bill.

Now, the second thing that I've heard so much about is that the DREAM Act is not very popular. And again, we rushed to our research and we found that the bill is very popular. Most Americans support the DREAM Act. Poll after poll, the majority of Americans approve of the DREAM Act, and there will be more information coming from this.

Now, the next thing that we ought to really settle down and accept as fact is that the DREAM Act will not take jobs from Americans. The reason that is pretty clear is that all the major unions in America support and endorse the DREAM Act, and they're doing it because it's not taking jobs away from their members--AFL, SEIU, UNITE HERE, UAW, NEA, AFT, and others.

So now that we have some of this cleared up, the next thing I would like to point out is that there are requirements. These are not illegals. These are undocumented kids. They didn't commit a criminal act. They thought they were born here to begin with. Their parents brought them here.

Look, the conditions are so, so voluminous. First of all, the only people eligible are children brought here to the United States, and they have to be less than 29 years old to even qualify. They must have lived in the United States at least for 5 years. They must have graduated from an American high school or be admitted to an institution of higher education, and they must submit biometric information and complete security and law enforcement background checks.

So this is a very rigorous bill. And the last piece of doggerel that I should get rid of is the fact that you can go into the United States military real quickly and be processed as a citizen. Not true. As a matter of fact, you cannot join the military if you are an undocumented person. Yes, that's right.

So now that we've got some of the misunderstanding out of the way, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield to the distinguished gentleman from Arizona for a unanimous consent request.

(Mr. PASTOR of Arizona asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield to Shelley Berkley of Nevada for a unanimous consent request.

(Ms. BERKLEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentlelady from California, Zoe Lofgren, who has worked for years on this legislation, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee.

I yield the gentlewoman an additional 10 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute to explain how the biometric business works to my good friend on the Judiciary Committee.

See, that is fingerprints and eye scans, and the FBI uses it, and they are pretty foolproof.

The people that you are talking about that go back and come forward, these kids, Steve, grew up in America. That is where they started. They haven't been anywhere else. You come here as a kid and you can't qualify. So there are records. They went to school, they did something, they lived somewhere. So there are records, and you don't have to go back to wherever their parents may have come from to do it.

I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Chaka Fattah, for a unanimous consent request.

(Mr. FATTAH asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I yield to the gentleman from Illinois, Danny Davis, for the purpose of making a unanimous consent request.

(Mr. DAVIS of Illinois asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I yield 45 seconds to the distinguished gentlewoman from Houston, Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 45 seconds to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), a distinguished member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Johnson), chair of the Subcommittee on Courts of the House Judiciary Committee, and also a former magistrate.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), chairman of the Education and Labor Committee, for a unanimous consent request.

(Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Edwards).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 45 seconds to a Judiciary Committee member, Dr. Judy Chu of California.

I yield myself 30 seconds.

I would remind my dear friend from California (Mr. Rohrabacher) there is no preference in this bill. They are treated equally. There is not one preference that you can dream of--

Unfortunately, I am not able to.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the distinguished gentlelady from California, Lucille Roybal-Allard.

I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from California, Sam Farr.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Castor).

Mr. Speaker, I yield to Carolyn Maloney of New York for a unanimous consent request.

(Mrs. MALONEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from New York, Jose Serrano.

(Mr. SERRANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from the Ways and Means Committee, the Honorable Charles Rangel.

(Mr. RANGEL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez for a unanimous consent request.

(Ms. Velazquez asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Maryland, Donna Edwards.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to yield 45 seconds to the civil rights hero of the Congress, John Lewis.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to yield 1 minute to the one and only majority leader of the House, Steny Hoyer of Maryland.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa).

I yield 2 minutes to a distinguished member of the Judiciary Committee, the gentleman from Illinois, Luis Gutierrez. He has worked on this issue, not just on the DREAM Act but on the whole question of immigration, with great skill and knowledge.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlelady from California, Grace Napolitano, for a unanimous consent request.

(Mrs. NAPOLITANO asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New York, Gregory Meeks.

I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York, Yvette Clarke.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from California (Mr. Honda) for a unanimous consent request.

(Mr. HONDA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

I am pleased at this time to yield 1 minute to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the gentlelady from California, Ms. Nancy Pelosi.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to Barbara Lee of Oakland, California.

Mr. Speaker, Howard Berman is not only the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee; he is the second ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. I yield him the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding and for giving us this opportunity this evening to come to the floor of the House on behalf of many children in America.

It is one of those evenings when we can associate ourselves very directly with the aspirations of our Founding Fathers. How blessed we were at the beginning of our country, even before our country began, that these brave and courageous people stood up for independence for our country. And when they established our country, they designed the great seal of the country and it said, ``Novus Ordo Seclorum,'' a new order for the ages. How confident they were, how optimistic they were. No country in the history of the world had ever had founders founding on a new principle of equality of people and freedom, separating themselves from a great military power by winning independence

and saying this was about a new order for the future. And they could say that with confidence because they had a commitment to make the future better from one generation to the next.

That became known as the American Dream, eventually, and people flocked to our shores to be part of the American Dream. And when they came, they brought their hopes, their aspirations, their determination, their optimism for a better future for their families and for the next generation. And in coming here, these newcomers--at that time, a couple hundred of years ago--and to this day, by coming with that optimism and hope and commitment to a better future for the next generation, they made America more American.

And so tonight we have an opportunity to identify with the aspirations of our Founders. And we know that if we are going to have a better future for our country, it is important for us to recognize the children who are here. They have come from every continent in the world, from Europe, from Asia, from Australia, from Latin America. My colleague, Congresswoman Clarke, talked about children coming from the Caribbean. A lot of attention is paid to those coming from Latin America, but they have come from all over the world, and many of them to this day do not know what their legal status is. Some find out in a most unfortunate way when ICE shows up at their door to say, You weren't born here, because their parents may not have told them that.

But their identity is all American. Some of them don't even speak the language of the country of origin of their parents. So many of them come here with this great patriotism. Their families come with this great patriotism. Many of these young people serve in the military, so they strengthen our national security. Secretary Gates has said, The DREAM Act represents an opportunity to expand the recruitment and readiness of our armed services. That's what the Secretary of Defense said. We all know that the competitiveness of America depends on innovation, and innovation begins in the classroom. And these young people have an array of skills and talent, whether they're in the military, whether they're in college, whether they go to graduate school. And we know that many of them cannot reach their professional aspirations because that is when they bump into the fact that they are not fully documented.

If you have ever been to a DREAM Act occasion, when young people come together and speak about their love for America, you will hear anthems of patriotism that, again, would make you so very, very proud in how it echoes what our Founders had in mind. So we have an opportunity tonight to solve a problem, solve a problem for these young people, to help solve problems for our military and our national security, to help solve problems about innovation and education and making our country stronger economically as well as militarily.

This bill does not cost money. In fact, it sends money back to the Treasury, about over $2.5 billion. But as studies show, there will be hundreds of billions of dollars that will be paid in taxes by these young people when they reach their full aspirations.

This act is about Pedro Ramirez, the student government president at California State University Fresno. He was brought here when he was 3 years old and was unaware of his lack of citizenship until he was a senior in high school. In the midst of the controversy of his status, he reminded us, the DREAM Act itself symbolizes what it is to be an American. It's about equality. It's about opportunity. It's about the future.

Young people like Pedro and so many others like him represent the best reasons to pass the DREAM Act. We always think in numbers. Think of these individual young people and how they identify with America. They have no other identity in many cases. They want to participate in our Nation's future. They want to help build it. They want to use their degrees and their skills to help build something better for the next generation, and that's what our Founders had in mind when they said, Novus Ordo Seclorum, a new order. It's on the dollar bill. In case you have a dollar in your pocket, you can take out The Great Seal of the United States, ``Novus Ordo Seclorum,'' with that confidence, later to be called the American Dream.

We owe it to our Founders, and we owe it to these young people, we owe it to the future to cast a vote for a bill that makes America more American. And I want to thank Mr. Conyers. I want to thank Howard Berman, the author of this legislation; Chairwoman Zoe Lofgren, also on the Judiciary Committee; certainly Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, chair of the Hispanic Caucus; Congressman Xavier Becerra, part of the House leadership; Luis Gutierrez; Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard; and the entire Congressional Hispanic Caucus. But it is not confined to the Hispanic Caucus, as Representative Clarke has said. This is about kids from all over the world.

And as Steny said earlier, when the Prime Minister of Ireland came here and spoke, and when we attended the festivities each year surrounding the visit of the Taoiseach, they always talk about immigration. They always talk about this issue. This is one piece of it.

And I know the gentleman got up and said he couldn't be for this because it didn't have a motion to recommit. This isn't about a motion to recommit. This is about a commitment to our future. This is about a recognition of what these young people can mean for our country. And so I hope that that recognition will result in a very positive vote, and I hope a bipartisan vote in support of making the future better for the next generation, which is the strength of our great country. Thank you all, and please vote ``aye'' on the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, to my friends on the other side of the aisle, these children have not broken the law, these are not criminals, and the only nightmare that I can imagine is the nightmare of violating the rights of these wonderful children who want an opportunity to serve America.

First of all, they have to be in the country for 5 years already, and they cannot change their status for another 10 years. It could be almost 20 years. And then you have the opportunity for them to invest in this country after they have received their education equaling up to $1 trillion. Do we violate our rights and our beliefs that we all are created equal?

So I ask my colleagues to support a DREAM Act that invests in America, that allows individuals to serve America. It is not amnesty; it is people wanting to serve this country, to pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

Stand for what is right. Vote for the DREAM Act. Believe in our values. We are all created equal.

I rise today in strong support of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, better known as the DREAM Act.

The DREAM Act is designed to provide a path to legal status for young people of good moral character brought to the United States as children. There are an estimated 2.1 million undocumented children and young adults in the United States who might be eligible to receive legal status under the DREAM Act. My home state of Texas is home to 12 percent of potential DREAM Act beneficiaries, second only to California (26 percent).

Each year, tens of thousands of these undocumented students graduate from primary or secondary school, often at the top of their classes. They have the potential to be future doctors, nurses, teachers, and entrepreneurs, but they experience unique hurdles to achieving success in this country. Through no fault of their own, their lack of status may prevent them from attending college, working legally, and joining the military. The DREAM Act would provide an opportunity for them to live up to their full potential and make greater contributions to the U.S. economy and society.

These students are culturally American, growing up here and often having little attachment to their country of birth. They tend to be bicultural and fluent in English. They are honor roll students, athletes, class presidents, valedictorians, and aspiring teachers, engineers, and doctors. Yet, because of their immigration status, their day-to-day lives are severely restricted and their futures are uncertain. They cannot legally drive, vote, or work. Moreover, at any time, these young men and women can be, and sometimes are, deported to countries they barely know.

Not only will the DREAM Act provide undocumented youth with the opportunity to achieve their dreams, but it will also have a positive impact on our economy. DREAM eligible students are already working hard and contributing to this economy and will not create new competition for Americans. Removing the uncertainty of undocumented status allows legalized immigrants to earn higher wages and move into higher-paying occupations, and also encourages them to invest more in their own education, open bank accounts, buy homes, and start businesses.

By allowing these students to come out of the shadows and work legally in the U.S., we will expand our Nation's tax base and will essentially be making an investment in our country. According to the Joint Committee on Taxation, over a period of 10 years, increasing the number of authorized workers in the United States would increase tax revenues by at least $2.3 billion. Moreover, the Congressional Budget Office found that the DREAM Act would also help to reduce the deficit by $1.4 billion over 10 years.

Despite the potential good that would come from enactment of the DREAM Act, there are still misconceptions about what exactly it will do. The DREAM Act does not provide blanket amnesty, but rather, it creates a narrowly tailored process to put young people on the path to legalization. These young people must meet certain criteria, including living in the United States the majority of their lives, graduating from high school, and completing at least two years of college. They must also exhibit characteristics of good moral character. Criminals or those who pose a threat to our national security would remain ineligible and be subject to deportation.

Furthermore, the DREAM Act does not give undocumented students immediate citizenships. In fact, it only provides for conditional status, which imposes heavy requirements on students before they can even apply for citizenship, including paying back taxes and demonstrating the ability to read, write, and speak English. It will take more 20 years before an individual will have the ability to achieve full citizenship in the United States. Moreover, it will take more than 28 years before an individual given legal status under the DREAM Act will be able to petition for a relative to come to the United States.

In my global travels to places like Africa, Asia, and Latin America, I have had the opportunity to interact with many children. Despite their many differences, there is one unifying factor--their love, respect, and adoration for the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence reminds us that we are all created equal. The students who would be impacted by the DREAM Act are more like you and me than most realize, and they deserve to have the ability to participate and contribute to America.

The DREAM Act is supported by military leaders, labor unions, business leaders, and a majority of American voters. I would like to tell you about Lucy Martinez, a second-year undocumented student at University of Texas at San Antonio who is among seven protesters who've refused to eat for 22 days to express her support for The DREAM Act. When asked why she and her fellow protestors chose to go on this hunger strike, she responded that she wants us to ``recognize our sacrifice and hard work. That we want to contribute to this country. We don't have the privilege of waiting. Our future is on the line.''

It is time that we decide whether to stand with this broad-based coalition, or continue to unfairly punish young people who were brought to this country through no fault of their own. I ask my colleagues to stand with me today and vote in favor of the DREAM Act.