Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, today I recognize the twenty-sixth anniversary of pogroms against people of Armenian descent in Sumgait, Azerbaijan, and call for long-overdue justice.

On February 27th 1988, Sumgait was the scene for organised anti- Armenian violence, leading to the death of more than thirty Armenians, with hundreds more gravely injured. Armenians were attacked and maimed for three days. Despite Baku's 30-minute proximity to Sumgait, police failed to react, allowing the brutality to continue.

This brutality took many forms and was well-documented. On May 22nd 1988, The New York Times reported Armenians being ``hunted'' down and gave an account of a pregnant Armenian woman who had been disembowelled so that the unborn baby could be mutilated. Two months earlier, The Washington Post gave accounts of an Armenian skinned alive and a woman being raped and murdered after her breasts were cut off. These atrocities were highlighted by the Members of Congress at the time, who condemned this state-sponsored massacre against Armenian civilians.

The failure to act by the Azerbaijani authorities and our failure to compel action has resulted in a tidal wave of animosity towards the Armenians, which manifests itself in several ways. Azerbaijani forces east of Karabagh continue to disregard the ceasefire established after the Karabagh war in 1994. Ramil Safarov, who decapitated an Armenian Lieutenant while he slept during a NATO-sponsored training program in 2004, returned home as a hero and was held up as ``an example of patriotism for the Azerbaijani youth'' by the Commissioner for Human Rights of Azerbaijan, Elmira Suleymanova. All the while, Ilham Aliyev continues his brazen rhetoric; consistently declaring Armenians as the national enemy in an effort to unite the Azeri public.

The hatred towards the Armenians is unrelenting, even at the expense of the freedom of their own people. When 75 year old Alcram Ayslisi-- one of Azerbaijan's most celebrated writers--had the temerity to consider the conflict from an unbiased perspective, he was subjected to a witch hunt that would not have looked out of place in medieval Europe. His books were burnt. He was stripped of his national literary awards, and, most worryingly, a high ranking politician had promised $13,000 to anyone who could cut off his ear.

I call upon all of my colleagues and fellow Americans to join me in condemning the continued violence and injustice, and continue efforts to ensure that these atrocities never repeat themselves.

I thank the distinguished member from Colorado.

I would like to explain a little bit about why I believe we have the greatest country on the planet. It is because people like my parents with only a first- and second-grade education, without much opportunity in the country that they were born and raised in, started a new life here in the United States of America, which gave me and my brothers and sisters, all 11 of us, more opportunities here in America than we could have had in my parents' home country.

Every day I am in this sacred Chamber serving the American people, I count my blessings. I personally know what comprehensive immigration reform can accomplish, not only for 11 million undocumented people who are already our neighbors and friends but for American businesses and the U.S. economy.

I mentioned about my mother and father with a first- and second-grade education and how their children got to go to college. We have doctoral degrees and master's degrees and bachelor's degrees. Every single one of our households pays more in taxes today than my parents ever made in gross income in any given year. I point that out because this country was founded on immigrants. It is that immigrant spirit that today is creating more jobs and American-born citizens. This is a country where people are given hope. This is a country where people come from other parts of the world, and they kiss the ground that they have arrived on and they love our country. They love this country. They love what they have made now their country, and they are contributors to what is great about this country, the greatest economy in the world.

House Republicans have a choice to make on immigration reform. Are they going to do what is right for Americans, or will they let anti- immigrant Members of this Congress, who absurdly call good students right here in America, the DREAMers, they call them drug mules, will they let these people be the messengers of their party about immigration reform?

That is why the Chamber of Commerce and more than 630 business organizations are urging us, Congress, to modernize our broken immigration system. We must create a less cumbersome path to legal immigration. Improving our outdated system will encourage long-term success. Comprehensive immigration reform will attract young foreign workers who will help reduce the deficit by as much as $1.2 trillion over the next 20 years. That improves America. They will help the economy grow by nearly 5 percent over the next 20 years. They will jump-start housing recovery, adding $68 billion every year to our American construction economy.

American wages will increase, and legal immigrants will add more than $100 billion in tax revenue to benefit all Americans.

Moreover, attracting the best and brightest talent abroad will cement America's competitiveness in the global economy for generations to come. We need to fix this broken immigration system. We need to stop sending these bright Ph.D.'s who come to love America, who get the degrees, and then we just send them home when they want to stay here and create a company that will employ American citizens, create wealth for American citizens right here on our soil.

Forty percent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or their children. Tech giants like Google, eBay, and Intel were founded by first- or second-generation Americans. These pioneering companies employ millions of Americans. Alongside American-born citizens, immigrants have spurred significant innovation and conducted critical research, pushing the United States forward.

I urge Congress to tackle the bureaucratic immigration backlog, reunite families, and supercharge the economy for all Americans. Comprehensive immigration reform must happen, and it must be done well, creating a modern system that is fair and efficient for everyone. A comprehensive immigration reform bill will require people who came here undocumented, yes, to pay fines; yes, to learn English; and will secure our borders even more than they are secured today. That is the kind of comprehensive immigration bill that I think every American wants to see happen. Unfortunately, the leadership of this House of Congress is unwilling to put that bill on the floor. That is why I am here today, to urge commonsense action on the floor of the United States Congress so we can do what is best for the economy of the United States of America, and that is to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to bring to this floor H.R. 3824 to end Republicans' refusal to extend unemployment benefits that protect families in the San Fernando Valley of which I represent. These individuals deserve the right to eat and should not be tossed out on the street and become homeless.

Mr. Speaker, less than 2 weeks ago, more than 1 million Americans lost access to unemployment insurance benefits. Another 3.5 million will be impacted if Congress doesn't act. American families will lose that tiny amount of money, that small amount of money that keeps food on the table for millions of Americans.

Has unemployment decreased? Well, it has decreased a bit. But unfortunately, unemployment is still too high for the people of the San Fernando Valley and many places around our country. Californians have already lost more than $64 million in unemployment income just in this past week.

This is unacceptable. We cannot balance the budget on the backs of Americans struggling to buy food for their families; and, unfortunately, the budget that was passed recently did just that.

We must act now and pass an unemployment insurance extension bill immediately. We need to continue the opportunity for these millions of American families to be able to put food on the table. That is the America that we grew up in, and that is the America that we have to figure out how to keep going forward.

An extension of unemployment insurance occurred under President George W. Bush, continues under President Obama, but this Congress needs to act to make sure we continue now.

Madam Chair, I rise today in support of the bipartisan Innovation Act, which makes important reforms to the U.S. patent system in order to curb abusive litigation.

I have heard from businesses of all sizes and from all industries in my district about the added burden faced by too many companies at the hands of patent assertion entities, or patent trolls. Resources should be better spent on business expansion, on job creation, on the development of new tools or services, or on improved infrastructure instead of being used to pay settlements or even unnecessary licenses. The enactment of the Innovation Act would go a long way towards solving this problem.

We must support American innovation, job creation and economic growth. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3309, the Innovation Act. As a former small business owner myself, one of the things that can hinder job growth in any small business or in any community is unnecessary and frivolous lawsuits.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3309, the Innovation Act. This bill will allow businesses of all sizes and in all industries to devote their time and resources to job creation, research and development, and to continue to support the innovation that makes U.S. companies so competitive in our global market.

I have heard from businesses and associations in a cross-section of industries asking for the passage of this bill so they can more fully dedicate themselves to building their businesses and the U.S. economy. I have heard for support for H.R. 3309 from the Motion Picture Association of America and movie studios such as 20th Century Fox who are economic drivers in Los Angeles and all across the country. There are other widespread and bipartisan supporters, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Realtors, the National Association of Broadcasters, which shows how essential patent reform is for American businesses and all industries.

While we can all agree that this is not a perfect bill, its passage will allow our businesses to fuel the U.S. economic recovery rather than battle abusive litigation. I urge my colleagues to support innovation by voting ``yes'' on final passage of the Innovation Act.

Chamber of Commerce of the

United States of America,

Washington, DC, November 20, 2013.

Hon. Bob Goodlatte,

Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, House of

Representatives. Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Goodlatte: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the

world's largest business federation representing the

interests of more than three million businesses of all sizes,

sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and

industry associations, and dedicated to promoting,

protecting, and defending America's free enterprise system,

commends you for advancing the patent litigation reform

debate by introducing and moving to markup H.R. 3309, the

``Innovation Act.''

The Chamber strongly supports the protection of legitimate

intellectual property rights. The patent system fosters

innovations and economic growth across a wide variety of

industries. The ability for legitimate patent holders to

defend their intellectual property is vital to keeping U.S.

businesses strong and competitive--both domestically and

globally.

At the same time, however, the Chamber is acutely aware of

the problems associated with excessive and abusive patent

litigation. In too many instances, elements of the

plaintiffs' bar leverage the potentially astronomical cost of

patent litigation to force abusive and coercive settlements.

The Chamber is particularly concerned by the increasing

prevalence of third party litigation financing to fund

frivolous and abusive patent cases, the increased use of

procedural maneuvers designed to further escalate the cost of

litigation and force settlements, and the plaintiffs' bar's

use of patent demand letters to extract settlements from

innocent users and sellers of a product. H.R. 3309 seeks to

address these very real patent litigation problems.

While the various concerns raised by elements of the

business community with H.R. 3309 will need to be addressed

through the overall legislative process, the Chamber is

pleased that you are moving this legislation forward. The

Chamber views this as a positive development and appreciates

your work on this important issue.

The Chamber looks forward to working with you, your

congressional colleagues, and other interested stakeholders

as H.R. 3309 moves through the legislative process in order

to ensure that demonstrable patent litigation abuses are

addressed appropriately, while preserving America's strong

tradition of protecting intellectual property rights.

Sincerely,

R. Bruce Josten,

Executive Vice President,

Government Affairs.

Mr. Speaker, the U.S. motion picture and television industry has broad economic benefits in many districts across the Nation. This vibrant industry supported 1.9 million jobs and $104 billion in total wages in 2011. U.S. film exports enjoy a positive trade balance, with a surplus of $12.2 billion recorded in 2011. However, theft of intellectual property threatens our industry's success, and India is a major source of that threat.

India accounts for more than half of all illegal movie recordings in the Asia-Pacific region. These pirated copies are sold online and on the black market, not only in India, but around the globe. India's irresponsible policies need to change. They need to pass anticamcording laws.

We want to share our onscreen treasures with the world, but we can't stand by and let them be stolen at the expense of the hardworking Americans who bring these films to life.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I want to just explain some facts to my fellow Americans. I want to remind us that immigrants contribute tremendously to our economy as workers, taxpayers, and consumers. But despite their contributions, immigrants face exploitation and significant barriers to advancement in our country. When we look at how important immigrants are to our economy, it comes as no surprise that when we help immigrants succeed, we help our economy succeed.

And one of the things I want everybody to remember, as I speak for the next few minutes, is that at any given time in our great Nation's history, somebody in your ancestry was treated less-than. There was a time where if you were of Irish descent, you were treated badly; if you were Russian, you were treated badly; if you were Chinese, you were treated badly; if you were Eastern European, you were treated unfairly.

Unfortunately, what we have had in our country are phases where one particular person who looks a certain way--and especially when you think after 9/11--that people are treated differently. And the problem that I have with that is that that is not the America I was born into, and that is not the America that I want to represent, and that is not the America that is going to make this country prosper.

Immigrants make up a critical component of the American labor force. Immigrants accounted for nearly one-half of the U.S. labor force growth since the mid-1990s. Immigrants contribute to innovation, business creation, and job creation. Immigrants are more likely than native-born Americans to start their own businesses.

Immigrant-owned businesses employed 4.7 million Americans in 2007 alone. In 2011, immigrant businesses were estimated to generate $775 billion in revenue, $125 billion in payroll, and $100 billion in income.

Immigrants also help to slow the aging of our labor force and the corresponding economic burdens that come with that.

Immigrants make up a critical component of America's agricultural industry, in particular. That is what brought my father to this country. He worked in the fields in the Central Valley of California so that my mother could stay home and raise, eventually, the 11 children that they had together. About 77 percent of the farmworker labor force is foreign-born, like my father, and at least one-half of the farmworkers are undocumented.

Farmworker work is one of the most hazardous occupations in our country and in the world, and many of these jobs would go unfilled without immigrant workers.

That is another thing that my father wanted for me. He worked in the fields tirelessly. His hands would bleed so that we, Americans, could have fresh fruits and vegetables on our table. But he dreamed that his children, American-born children, could actually go to college and surpass his dreams, as he only had a first grade education in the country that he came from.

With the help of immigrant farmworkers in America, the value of U.S. agricultural exports rose 2.5 times between 1989 and 2009, and exports of high-value agricultural products, including fruits and vegetables, more than tripled.

America, it is really important for us to understand, when we don't welcome those hardworking immigrants to be part of our integrated workforce, what happens is that places like Argentina, who would love to compete with us, they laugh at us, and they say, We will sell you our products. We will sell you our oranges and vegetables. They are pretty good, but they are not American-made.

Immigrants contribute to our economy through taxes. The State and local taxes paid in 2010 alone by households headed by undocumented immigrants was over $11 billion. And this is according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. Undocumented immigrants contributed as much as $13 billion in payroll taxes to the Social Security program in 2010 but only took $1 billion in benefits, creating a net positive effect on our Social Security system that benefits Americans, and this is according to the Social Security Administration.

Despite their contributions, immigrants face exploitation and significant barriers to advancement; and again, that is not the America we should feel proud of.

We have an opportunity to pass comprehensive immigration reform in this great country on this floor. All we need is the opportunity to put a bill up for a vote. And I believe that the majority of Members of this House will do the righteous thing, the right thing, and welcome those immigrants and integrate them into our system; and we will see the economy of the United States of America flourish once again like we all want it to, like we hope it should, and how we all deserve to see happen.

For example, immigrants of legal status earn 10 percent more than those who are undocumented, again, boosting the economy. Comprehensive immigration reform would allow immigrant students--DREAMers, as some of us call them--to gain a greater earning boost as more are able to attend college and become productive members of our labor force. Comprehensive labor reform would allow undocumented entrepreneurs the ability to expand their businesses and hire American citizens.

When we look at how important immigrants are to our economy, it comes as no surprise that when we help immigrants succeed, America succeeds. Our country is built on the backs of immigrants from Europe, from Africa, from the Americas, from Canada, from every part of this world. We are the country where dreams come true. We are the country where freedom rings true.

But right now, 11 million human beings do not enjoy those freedoms, yet they are here toiling, working, and we are benefiting from that. And that is a shame. We are better than that, America. We deserve an opportunity to see this legislative body vote on comprehensive immigration reform.

And I will say it once again: If we don't do it because it is just the right thing to do, let's do it for the selfish reason that it will boost the economy of the United States of America more than we have seen in over 50 years.

Thank you very much for bringing together this important discussion on this floor of our Nation's Capitol.

I think it is really important, Madam Speaker, for us to remind ourselves that the only thing that is stopping comprehensive immigration reform is the fact that, Madam Speaker, the leadership of this House is unwilling to allow the vote to take place.

Today I am proud to join my colleagues to talk about the need for immigration reform but, more importantly, the cost America bears as Congress does nothing.

We were sent to Washington to solve our Nation's problems, but Republican leadership has announced we are done and will not take up immigration reform this year. Madam Speaker, it is November 13. We are not done. We have 6 more weeks to work, just like all Americans. Why don't we just continue doing our job?

Members of our Armed Forces don't get the liberty to say when they are done. There are no vacations or timeouts for them. They proudly wear the U.S. flag on their shoulder and continue to protect our freedoms, even when the leadership in our Congress decides that they no longer want to work.

As of June 2009, for example, there were over 114,000 foreign-born individuals in our United States armed services serving our country. Over 95,000 of those individuals were naturalized U.S. citizens. They were not born in this country, but they went through the process of becoming citizens and serve our country proudly. More than 10,000 of those servicemembers are not U.S.-born citizens. They stand on the front lines because they believe in what America stands for. Let's get to work, pass comprehensive immigration reform, and earn the honor of their service and their sacrifice.

Every day we await action on a comprehensive immigration reform bill, millions of dollars in potential revenue is lost to Americans in our country. Our farms do not have a stable workforce. Far too many high- tech companies are short the workers they need to continue to innovate and grow American jobs.

Our schools attract the best and the brightest from around the world, but when they get their degrees and want to stay in this great country, they are sent away, not allowed to start businesses and hire American citizens.

In all, the full economic potential of undocumented immigrants as workers, taxpayers, consumers, and entrepreneurs is being lost because they are unable to earn legal status. And when we grow the American economy, we create more jobs for Americans.

As many in Congress continue to deny the pressing need for comprehensive immigration reform, the broken U.S. immigration system continues to tear families apart, while simultaneously draining the Federal budget and robbing our American economy. Talking about comprehensive immigration reform is not enough. It is time for Democrats and Republicans to vote together on this floor and pass a solution that will serve all of America. The time for reform is now.

The system is broken, and fixing it in an intelligent, bipartisan way is something that a majority of Americans want. Americans understand that deportation, or even self-deportation, is not an option. They support a pathway to citizenship. Even more support a pathway to legal residency. The American people want this solution.

With the introduction of H.R. 15 in our House, a bipartisan bill for comprehensive immigration reform, we have reached a significant milestone for commonsense immigration reform. The bill is practical and fair and holds everyone accountable. The bill strengthens the border, strengthens the economy, and provides a pathway to citizenship for people who have lived, worked, and raised their families right here in the United States of America.

We cannot wait any longer. It is time for Speaker Boehner to bring a comprehensive immigration reform bill to the floor of this House and let the will of the American people have its way. America deserves a solution. We are ready for a vote. It is time that our House do the will of the people, that we have a comprehensive immigration reform bill come to this floor and allow Republicans and Democrats to vote their conscience and pass that bill.

I thank my colleague for yielding me this time, and thank you for putting this opportunity together, Congressman Takano.

It is a great opportunity to speak here today. I would like to speak to what this is costing my district, and this is just a microcosm of what this Republican shutdown is costing all districts in America, all communities in the United States of America.

Recently, some of my colleagues here in the House have chosen to harm America, harm American families, seniors, veterans, and businesses across the country. They have refused to do their job of providing a budget for America, a budget which would simply pay our Nation's bills. Ladies and gentlemen, this is something every family in America has to do. We must pass a reasonable budget. We must reopen our government. Every day we sit on the sidelines, American families and businesses are losing. They are suffering. There is $300 million in economic loss every day. That is $300 million a day, poof, gone.

When I am at home talking to the people I am proud to represent, their number one concern is creating well-paying American jobs. This Republican shutdown demonstrates how out of touch the party is with the needs of working-class families who are focused on feeding their families and making ends meet. This Republican shutdown hurts America.

In my district alone, the shutdown has stalled the completion of a major project for the Mission City Community Network, a health network that provides medical, dental, and mental health services. Once construction is completed--eventually--they will be able to help 10,000 patients a year going forward. However, this program is stalled because Republicans refuse to allow a vote on a budget.

Congress needs to stop the fighting and should focus on growing our economy. The uncertainty about how long the shutdown will last is crippling our economy. The possibility of defaulting on America's bills is having a serious and negative impact on our position as the greatest country in the world.

It is important for the government to provide stability and security for the people and businesses in our country, and the world is watching us.

This shutdown has sent 800,000 Americans home, telling them don't go to work. For example, in my district, I have a Federal building where hundreds of Americans work every single day serving my community. I went to that building just a few days ago, and it is closed down. The only person that I found working there now is one security guard.

American families cannot afford to wait on Republicans who are holding the Nation's economy hostage. For example, even children are affected. Head Start programs in my district are wondering how long they are going to be able to keep their doors open before they turn those children away. Every time we say that those 800,000 people are not going to work, those government workers, just ask the corner grocery store, the restaurants how they feel about this shutdown. It is affecting everybody, public and private businesses alike.

I want to bring to your attention that it was just reported to me that the districts around Los Angeles, including the one that I represent, that every day the average amount of money that is lent to small businesses is $360,000 in loans a day from the Small Business Administration. That is more than $7.5 million per month. Last year in our district, more than $84 million in loans were approved. That is the equivalent of 2,400 new jobs last year. That is good government at work. However, now that the Republican shutdown is in full force and in place, zero dollars are being lent out through the SBA in my district. That means zero new jobs every single day that the Republican shutdown is in place.

I am very proud to say that I grew up in a family where my mother and father made ends meet to raise us 11 American citizens, and I am very proud that they raised us in a nice, clean, good environment. I have brothers and sisters who have gone to college to get their doctorate degrees, master's degrees, bachelor's degrees; and I am very proud to say I worked with my engineering degree for a while, but then I decided to strike out on my own and run my own business. I know what it is like when a business is trying to grow. And when you don't have access to capital, you don't grow; if you don't grow, you don't create new jobs.

I just wanted to make sure that people understand what it means when the Federal SBA stops lending money. When they stop lending money, new jobs stop in communities throughout America.

House Republicans must allow us to do the one thing Americans want more than anything else from our Congress, and that is to let us pay our bills, let us act responsibly, and let us put Americans back to work. It is simply that, ladies and gentlemen.

Let's get back to work in this Congress. Let's get this government back to work. Let's reinvigorate an economy that was barely starting to get back on its feet but has been shut down.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to first thank Congresswoman Sinema for bringing us together so we can speak for at least an hour on this very critical and important issue of supporting our veterans now that they're home.

This is something that I shouldn't have to talk about. This is something that none of us should have to bring up, but here we are. Too many of our veterans are taking their own lives.

Our soldiers and veterans, who are all volunteers, should not be killing themselves. Too many are, and it is at an epidemic rate. This is entirely unacceptable.

While veteran suicide is frequently reported in the press and focused on by the VA, it is rarely mentioned that last year 349 Active Duty service men and women killed themselves. That is more Active Duty deaths by suicide than in all combat deaths combined during the same year, 2012, including the deaths in Afghanistan.

Alongside our Active Duty forces, nearly two dozen veterans kill themselves every day. That is almost one every hour. That number is going up, not down.

A survey by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America showed that 30 percent of servicemembers have considered taking their own life, and 45 percent said they know an Iraq or Afghanistan veteran who has attempted suicide.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has devoted some resources to this effort, but more can be done, and it starts right here in Congress. We fund the VA; the VA does not fund itself.

It is important that we let military families of those who have experienced these tragedies know that their experiences matter. We need to provide resources, real support for our veterans and their families. We owe this to the men and women who kept their promise to protect and serve our Nation, because we now know and we can see that constant mobilization and combat does not just impact our Nation as a whole, but it forever impacts our men and women to whom we owe so much.

This Suicide Prevention Month, let us make a true effort to provide mental health support for our veterans and their families. Over $1 trillion has been provided and spent on two wars over the last decade, yet we have dedicated too little--very little--to help our veterans when they return home. A trillion dollars sounds like a lot of money. Almost one veteran an hour in this country takes his or her life. What's that price, ladies and gentlemen? What's that value?

I believe that we have a backwards system in our country where we can pop off $25 billion, $50 billion, $100 billion, and it keeps going and going and going, and we're creating more and more veterans who come back and who love their country. They would like to come back and feel normal, but they don't feel right. Because of that, they take their life.

We should be ashamed of ourselves because we have the answers, we know the answers, and one of those answers is for Congress to dedicate more money to our veterans so that when they come home they won't take their life. We have the answers, ladies and gentlemen, but we're not willing to heed the call. We need to do so.

Perhaps what we should consider doing in these Chambers from now on is, every time we spend a dollar to go to war, maybe we should dedicate $1 for our veterans when they come back. Fair enough?

We lose count of the money we send to war. But we count every penny that we send to the VA. And we squeeze them, and we tell them there's no more. There's always more money for war, for some reason. Somehow, there's always more money for war, regardless of what the economy is, regardless of how much revenue we have. There's always more money for war. But there's never enough money for us to dedicate to the veterans who need us, who didn't question us, who we--we helped them change their lives forever. And for some, they took their life once they came back home and realized that we are not there for them. I hope that we're all listening, Mr. Speaker. I hope that we're all listening.

And I thank you, Congresswoman Sinema, for this opportunity.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor to be here on the floor to speak to America and those around the world who watch and understand all that we try to do in this Congress. It gives me great pleasure and honor to speak tonight about a very important issue that faces America but is just as important to people from all over the world.

The United States of America is the country where dreams come true. It's not hard to see that citizenship is a cornerstone of that American Dream. We're a Nation of immigrants--and immigration remains one of the great strengths of our great Nation.

Yesterday, we celebrated Citizenship Day and were reminded of the important contributions immigrants have made to America--immigrants from all over the world.

As Congress continues to delay the passage of comprehensive immigration reform, we're again reminded that the inclusion of a pathway to citizenship is essential to ensuring that all immigrants are able to fully contribute to our economy, workforce, and to our communities.

One of the major reasons that we have so many undocumented workers in this great Nation is because our legal immigration system is broken. We should work as hard as possible to ensure that hardworking men and women who simply want to live the American Dream can do so--and that they can do so as American citizens.

What happens when immigrants are able to become citizens rather than just seeing their immigration status legalized? The answer is simple. We--all of us in America--will have a stronger and more integrated Nation, a stronger

economy, and stronger communities. The economic benefits of citizenship are undeniable. Research shows failure to include a path to citizenship would have significant economic costs in terms of lost opportunity for growth, earnings, tax revenues, and jobs for Americans.

Providing only legal status with no pathway to citizenship would result in $568 billion less in national productivity and $321 billion less in total income, 820,000 fewer total jobs would be created, and Federal and State governments would lose out on $75 billion in additional tax revenue, according to outside estimates.

Refusing immigrants the opportunity to become U.S. citizens hurts America. It hurts Americans as well. It hurts our economic interests as a country.

I want to fix our immigration system and to give those who are willing to work hard for this Nation and sacrifice of themselves an opportunity to do so as Americans. This is why I will continue to work with Democrats, Republicans, and anyone willing to listen to pass an immigration reform bill that is comprehensive and includes a path to citizenship.

At this time, I would like to take the opportunity to introduce Congressman Steny Hoyer, the minority whip from Maryland. Maryland is one of the earliest States where immigrants landed. Even your State, Congressman Hoyer, has a flag that represents those immigrants and their contributions to Maryland; correct?

Thank you very much, Congressman Hoyer. I appreciate those eloquent words and also the fact that you pointed out that you are definitely a proud American, yet at the same time you are proud to say that you're the son of immigrants. That's a beautiful thing for us to welcome and embrace in this country. I hope and pray that we do, in fact, pass comprehensive immigration reform and pass it soon. So thank you so much for your leadership.

Next, Mr. Speaker, I would like to invite to share a few words with all of us my colleague, Marc Veasey, from the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex area.

Congressman Veasey, I know Texas is a State of proud patriots, and they must have been very proud when we read from the Constitution earlier this year at the beginning of our session. That document is the basis of a lot of what makes our country so appealing to those people from all over the world who want to come here and contribute to this great Nation; isn't it?

Why don't you tell us a little bit about what being a citizen is like and what it means to you and the folks in your district, many of whom protect and defend our great Nation.

Thank you very much, Congressman Veasey. Thank you for sharing those words with all of us.

Mr. Speaker, next I would like to introduce Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona. She knows what dreams are made of and what it takes to be a participant in making those dreams come true.

Thank you very much, Congresswoman Sinema.

Next, I would like to invite to share a few words with all of us Congressman O'Rourke from Texas.

Congressman, a lot of us have talked about citizenship and what it means when you raise your hand and swear allegiance to this country, and the many ways that immigrants have contributed to our great Nation. But for you I think it touches a little closer to home.

I've heard there's a new American citizen in your district who has made a major contribution to your congressional office. Can you share with us that story?

Thank you very much, Congressman O'Rourke. We appreciate the opportunity to hear a perspective from your part of Texas and our great country.

Next, I would like to welcome and talk a little bit with Congressman Bill Foster of Illinois, a little bit right now.

Congressman Foster, part of the American Dream is owning a home. I, myself, was a real estate broker before getting involved in elected office, and I know that it's tough for those people who want to own a home if they don't have their documentation in order or their citizenship in order. We have a lot of vacant homes around the country, and I know we have some in your district and in my district.

Do you think that more American citizens working hard and contributing to our economy would help our home-buying market?

Thank you very much.

Next I would like to yield to Congresswoman Lois Capps.

Congresswoman, both of us are from California, and we've seen the incredible impact that immigrants have made in our great State of California. Recognizing those contributions is not a partisan matter for us in California now, is it?

One thing that I'd like for you to share with us, please, is your perspective on whether or not this is a partisan issue.

Thank you very much, Congresswoman Capps.

I now yield to Dr. Raul Ruiz, who represents the southern part of California, to express some of his understanding of why comprehensive immigration reform is good for America and good for Americans.

Thank you so much, Congressman Ruiz.

Before I call up our next Congressman from Florida, I'd like to share a story with everyone, Mr. Speaker, about economics and innovation.

Cesar Millan was born in 1969 in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. He grew up working with animals on his grandfather's farm in Sinaloa.

Young Millan crossed the border in the U.S. without a visa at the age of 21. He spoke no English and did not know anyone in this country. He first worked in a dog grooming store working with the most aggressive dogs that nobody else would want to work with.

Mr. Millan became a permanent resident in the year 2000. He was focused on rehabilitating especially aggressive dogs and founded the Dog Psychology Center in south Los Angeles, and he held that center there from 2002 to 2009, which, in fact, was a business.

He started a television series, ``The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan,'' which was broadcast in more than 80 countries around the world between 2004 and 2012. The show became National Geographic's number one show during its first season.

Starting in January 2013, Cesar Millan has hosted another series, ``Cesar Millan's Leader of the Pack.'' Cesar Millan has written three books, all of which became New York Times bestsellers. In 2009, Cesar Millan launched ``Cesar's Way'' magazine in the United States and Canada, which combines advice from Cesar and articles about relationships between dogs and humans. It is the number one selling dog magazine in North America.

In 2007, Cesar and Ilusion Millan created the Cesar and Ilusion Millan Foundation, a not-for-profit to aid and support the rescue, rehabilitation, and placement of abused and abandoned dogs. Cesar Millan has also supported other projects, including K-9 Connection for at-risk teens, Pups on Parole for inmates, and It Gets Better that supports at-risk LGBT youth as well.

I was present in 2009--and it was a proud moment for me and a proud moment for Cesar Millan and his family--when he raised his hand and was sworn in as a United States citizen in 2009 in Los Angeles, California. And I can tell you, his efforts and his contributions to this great Nation go much further.

While watching television, my wife, Norma, looked at the TV and she said, You know what, Tony? You need to meet Cesar Millan. He looks like a good man, and he looks like somebody who can help you create good legislation for the city of Los Angeles, when I was on the city council of Los Angeles.

So I invited him to my office, and immediately he said he'd be more than happy to help me. And as a result of that one meeting, he helped me create the first spay and neuter program in the largest city in the United States of America. Now it's the model for cities around the country. And it was his advice and his expertise that allowed me to do that.

Los Angeles, for over 20 years, had not prosecuted one person for cruelty to animals, and it was Cesar Millan who urged me that we need to put an end to that. And with that, in Los Angeles, I was able to pass an ordinance that created an animal cruelty task force. And today, we have prosecuted over 200 individuals with felony charges for cruelty to animals.

Basically what I'm saying is it was an undocumented immigrant who came to this country who taught me, an American-born citizen, how I can take my craft as an elected official to a level that had never been done before. And it's that kind of example that I believe we have example after example after example in this country that immigrants who come to this country, documented or undocumented, seize the opportunity of the atmosphere that we've created in this great country. And they are tremendous contributors not only to our economy, but to good legislation and making our communities a better place.

And now I would like to invite to speak a few words Congressman Joe Garcia from Florida to share what his perspective on comprehensive immigration reform means to this country and why it's so important to our great Nation.

Thank you, Congressman Garcia. I really appreciate that perspective and your sharing with America those perspectives.

I would like to share another story of someone that I'm friends with and someone who has a business in my district and also lives in my district.

Alonso Arellano was born in 1966 in Tijuana, Mexico. He came to America when he was 10 years old with his mother and stepdad and brother. His family settled in Huntington Park, California, where his father worked at a factory job and his mother sold goods to make some extra money. He had to withdraw from high school in the 10th grade because of the family's economic hardships and began working to help support his family. But he had a passion for learning and was determined to get an education, so he completed high school by taking night classes while working full-time, and went on to take courses at a junior college to continue his education.

In 1986, he got married. And when he found out his wife was pregnant a couple of years later, he began to reevaluate his life and what he was going to do next for his family. So he joined the United States Air Force in 1988, where he won the Airman of the Quarter Award three times, received a commendation medal, and graduated from training with honors. He was granted the permission to take classes at Eastern New Mexico University nearby the base where he was stationed, and he eventually earned a bachelor's degree in physics and a master's degree in mathematics.

After the war, Alonso applied for and was granted U.S. citizenship, which opened the door for his future career. When he left the military in 1994, he began training at UCLA to become a radiation medical physicist while working part time at UCLA at a cancer research center. He currently works as a radiation medical physicist at a private hospital. In addition to that, he owns and runs a restaurant called Rocio's Mole de los Dioses. And right now, he's planning on opening up another business, creating jobs for Americans, creating jobs in our community, our corner of America.

I think it's important for people to understand that immigrants have such an insatiable appetite to appreciate their surroundings, appreciate their opportunities, just like Alonso, who had to get out of school at the 10th grade, who worked full-time, went to night school to get his education, went on to get a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, and now is contributing in a health care facility for patients with cancer, who is actually contributing by opening several businesses where he employs American citizens.

I want to thank my colleagues for joining me tonight on this floor to share the stories of truth and the stories about how important comprehensive immigration reform is to the economy of America. Once again, 82,000 more jobs if we allow these new Americans to become citizens, $568 billion more growth in GDP to the United States economy if we allow them to become citizens, $75 billion more in revenue to local States and governments if we allow them to become citizens, $321 billion of growth in dollars in the pockets of American families that will be spent throughout our communities in America.

As I close, I would like to thank NALEO, NCLR, and countless other businesses, chambers, labor, civil rights, religious, and law enforcement organizations, individuals who are continuing to push for the truth, to push Congress to please have comprehensive immigration reform meet the floor of both Houses so we can reconcile this, fix our broken immigration system, and put it on the desk of the President of the United States, and we will see an economic boon that this country has not seen for decades.

Americans deserve for us to operate in these Chambers the way we should, to put aside the partisan bickering, to look at the economic benefit of every community in our country, to do the right thing, to live the spirit of what the United States of America portends to be around the world. We need to start at home and realize that we have 11 million hardworking people in this country who are doing the toughest jobs, changing the diapers of our children, working in the kitchens of every nice, wonderful restaurant in America, people who are working with our grandparents to help them live a better life. Many of those individuals deserve the opportunity to come out of the shadows, and not only come out of the shadows, but to contribute to this great Nation with more economics that we need to see. We have an ailing economy, ladies and gentlemen. And with that, Mr. Speaker, we will see growth in America. We will see more Americans go to work if we do the right thing and pass comprehensive immigration reform.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's been a wonderful hour of truth and message to the American people, and I hope and pray that in these Chambers we have the opportunity to vote for comprehensive immigration reform.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of Congressman Pocan's amendment, which increases the Navy Research, Testing, Development, and Evaluation account by $10 million. This would support research, improving the safety of advanced batteries, specifically lithium-ion batteries. This amendment does not add new funding to the bill.

Lithium-ion is the present and future of our energy storage technology. This technology is critical to U.S. military personnel for communications, navigation, and vehicles on land and in the sea, air, and space. It is also important to many other sectors of the economy, including to the utility companies, transportation, aviation, aerospace, and medical devices.

As we have seen with recent airliner incidents, we can do more to address the safety of these batteries. Without improving that safety, we cannot fully realize the potential of lithium-ion technology. Without realizing that potential, we cannot improve our production capability here in the United States of America.

The global market for lithium batteries was worth more than $11 billion in 2012, and it is expected to double to $22 billion by 2016. Right now, the U.S. has a very small market share of the lithium-ion industry. The bulk of the industry is in Japan, China, and Korea. Investments like this are critical to growing the U.S. industrial base and in creating middle class manufacturing jobs. Funding research and development for this cutting-edge technology can ensure that the lithium-ion industry grows right here in America. With that growth comes more government and commercial applications.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. As an electrical engineer myself, I am very, very proud of the innovation of the United States of America, but little by little, we see that slipping away to other countries. Yet, at the same time, if we just invest a little, this $10 million will yield billions of dollars in the future.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment increases authorized funding for English language learners from $750 million to $775 million until 2019.

Services to this growing, but completely underserved, population are important to me and families throughout my district and throughout this country; but it should be important for all of us.

Latinos as a percent of the labor force will grow to 34 percent in the next 10 years.

I want to share some numbers showing our neglect of these students.

Only 7 percent of the English language learners in the fourth grade and 3 percent of those in the eighth grade were at or above a proficient level of English in 2011; non-English language learners saw five times as many fourth graders and 11 times as many eighth graders at or above proficient levels in English.

All students should be able to reach those levels and greater.

Mr. Chairman, English language learners are the fastest growing segment of the public school population. The overwhelming majority are native-born U.S. citizens. Half are second- or third-generation Americans. Adequate educational services could prevent 25 percent of English language learners from dropping out, ensuring a fair shot at their participation in this economy of ours.

Instead, our system has failed these students. Second- and third- generation American citizens in our public schools are not proficient in English. This is absolutely unacceptable.

My amendment provides a funding stream specifically for services for English language learners, but the provisions in H.R. 5 do not ensure that these funds will be used to support these children.

H.R. 5 does not do what needs to be done to provide for these students. It strips the English language learner title and allows funds to be shared, allowing funds to be redirected from their intended population. Already, too many schools incorrectly use these funds. Opening the door to redirecting funds makes the problem even worse.

H.R. 5 strips achievement metrics for English language acquisition. If we can't measure whether something works or not, what is the point of funding it, ladies and gentlemen? Given our poor record of educating Americans, why is the Federal Government retreating from having these outcomes measured? These children can be doctors, lawyers, business owners, educators, and community leaders if we provide them with the proper education when they're youngsters. We must allow them to realize their potential by investing in them. That is why next week I'll be introducing my own bill on educating English language learners.

My colleagues on the other side of the aisle give much lip service to integrating Latino and immigrant families into American society; however, H.R. 5 would have been a great opportunity to show that they have meant what they said.

At this time, I yield as much time as she may consume to my friend from Illinois, Congresswoman Duckworth.

Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

Mr. Chairman, my amendment, while ruled in order, does not go as far as we should. In fact, Mr. Miller's substitute provides even more of an opportunity for us to serve this important need. His bill would replace H.R. 5. Therefore, I ask my colleagues to support Mr. Miller's substitute language, vote against the current language.

Mr. Chairman, I withdraw my amendment.

Amendment No. 4 Offered by Mr. Luetkemeyer

Madam Speaker, I rise today to talk about comprehensive immigration reform, but from a slightly different standpoint from many of my colleagues who frequently occupy this Chamber with their perspectives.

Madam Speaker, we all know why we need comprehensive immigration reform, why we need to fix this system rather than depending on small, one-off solutions. Our system is broken, and we have to fix the entire immigration system now.

Our farms do not have stable workforces; our borders are not adequately protected; far too many high-tech companies are short the workers they need to continue to innovate; our schools attract the best and the brightest from around the world, but we can't keep sending them back after we educate them.

We know what needs to be fixed and why. What will happen once we fix the problems? Very simply, our economy will skyrocket.

Report after report, study after study says the same thing--the successful implementation of comprehensive immigration reform will cut the deficit, create manufacturing jobs and job opportunities nationwide, and create more than 100,000 American jobs every year for the next 10 years. We will see $832 billion being pumped into our economy over the next 10 years. As producers and consumers in this great Nation, undocumented immigrants grow the economic pie by at least $30 billion as we speak. Legalization would triple that number with various studies pointing to a $1 trillion impact on our gross domestic product right here in the United States over the next 10 years.

Madam Speaker, I am joined by many of my freshman class. This past election, voters sent us to Washington to solve problems like our broken immigration system, and that's what we want to do. It's time to make immigration reform a reality, and it's absolutely time to let people know what that reality really means for their own pocketbooks-- those of both American citizens and immigrants. That's what we're going to talk about tonight.

Madam Speaker, for those watching at home, they can get in on one of the conversations by tweeting us at #CIRmeansjobs. If our constituents have questions, we will answer them.

With that, I look forward to an interesting and enlightening discussion tonight.

I would like to start off by talking with my colleague from California, Congressman Swalwell. One thing I would like to ask this gentleman is whether he thinks comprehensive immigration reform will help not only create more job opportunities but also expand our Nation's workforce.

Thank you very much, Congressman Swalwell.

Next, we will hear from Congressman Ruiz from California.

Thank you very much, Congressman Ruiz from California.

One of the things I'd like to make sure that we understand is that some people believe that the low-skilled jobs that some immigrants take in this country are jobs that are taken away from Americans. Ask any farmer around the country, especially the members of the biggest farms in the country. Some crops have gone unpicked, which means that that affects the pocketbooks of every American when those crops don't make it to our kitchen tables. It's really important for us to understand that many of the jobs that are taken by some immigrants to this country are jobs that U.S. workers just will not take. I think it's very important for us to understand that, and there is a diversity of jobs that we will cover over the next hour.

With that, I yield to Congressman Gallego from Texas.

Thank you very much, Congressman Gallego.

It's very important for us to understand that this is an issue of diversity. And it's not just diversity of people from all over the country, but diversity of economics for the United States of America.

It's no secret that we are the innovative capital of the world, but more and more every single day, every single year, we are depending more and more

and more on technical people coming to our country to fill those technical jobs that are fueling hundreds, if not millions, of jobs in this country and creating tremendous economic benefit for our country. It's really important for us to understand that.

I now yield to Congresswoman Titus from Nevada to speak to those issues and others.

Thank you very much, Congresswoman Titus.

It's really important for us to understand and recognize the diversity of people who are speaking on this issue today, but the one common theme is the fact that economically this is the right thing to do. There are many other reasons why we need to fix our broken immigration system, but the number one benefit to every American citizen in this country is going to be economic growth for every corner of our country.

With that, I invite to the podium Congresswoman Sinema from Arizona.

Thank you, Congresswoman Sinema.

It's really important for us to also recognize that there are many industries that you might not think of that have to do with benefiting the economy as a whole for your community. If you have any activity of tourism in your community, you need to understand that comprehensive immigration reform is going to benefit you, as well.

With that, I invite Congresswoman Gabbard to take the floor.

Thank you very much, Congresswoman Gabbard.

Some people say that comprehensive immigration reform needs to happen because it is the socially responsible thing to do. But one thing that our numbers show, and whether it is a conservative group or the Congressional Budget Office staff, they basically are saying when we pass comprehensive immigration reform, we are going to see places like Social Security go up in value and actually extend the life of Social Security with those additional payers. It is important for us to understand that yes, it is a social responsibility for us to improve our immigration system, yet at the same time, once again, every American will benefit.

I yield to Congressman Cartwright from Pennsylvania.

Thank you very much, Congressman Cartwright.

I think it is very important for us to understand once again that tonight we are covering many aspects of why comprehensive immigration reform is good for this country. It's really important for us to understand, and what I urge every viewer to do is to ask your local Chamber of Commerce how they feel about whether comprehensive immigration reform is overdue and whether or not we should pass such a bill. Also ask your local law enforcement agencies. For example, 37 out of the 50 State attorneys general in this country have all signed a letter saying Congress, please pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill. And please ask anybody from whatever religion you may be a part of, ask that pastor, ask that individual that you look to for that spiritual guidance to answer the question as to whether or not comprehensive immigration reform is something they believe should happen in this country.

I think the answers will overwhelmingly be yes, yes, yes.

Now I yield to Congresswoman Michelle Lujan Grisham from New Mexico to speak.

I thank the congresswoman.

Next, I'd like to yield to Congressman Murphy from Florida. We've heard from a congresswoman from Hawaii, and next Congressman Murphy from Florida will speak. Tourism is an important economic issue tip to tip in this country, and Florida is no exception.

I thank Congressman Murphy. I think it is important for us to understand that every State has its unique differences, yet again, we are one Nation and we will all benefit from comprehensive immigration reform.

I would now like to yield to Congressman Veasey from Texas.

Thank you very much, Congressman Veasey.

It's really important for us to understand, I keep saying, every corner of this country's going to benefit from comprehensive immigration reform. And you just heard from one of our Representatives from Texas explaining that there's actually Republicans in his State who actually realize the economic benefit and are urging comprehensive immigration reform now as well.

Before I go to the next speaker, I must ask, Madam Speaker, how much time do we still have?

I yield time to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Garcia).

Thank you very much, Congressman Garcia.

Next I'll yield time to the gentleman from California (Mr. Vargas).

Thank you very much, Congressman Vargas.

I'll yield time to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Castro). And I'd like to ask Congressman Castro if he can help me answer the question a young lady tweeted on this, as we're commenting tonight from the floor.

Brenda asked, What are you doing for children who came here through no fault of their own?

Congressman Castro.

Thank you very much, Congressman Castro.

I'd like to thank all of my colleagues who spoke here tonight.

And thank you, Madam Speaker, for affording us the opportunity to speak to the American public and to actually explain this very, very critical, important economic benefit to our great country.

I'd like to thank my colleagues, my fellow Americans, for speaking out tonight and explaining to every American of our great country that comprehensive immigration reform benefits you. Every single person born in this country will benefit tremendously from passage of comprehensive immigration reform.

I think it's important for us to understand that, to many of us American-born citizens, this is a very important issue. It's about economics, but it's also an emotional issue as well.

I'm very, very proud to say that I was born in this country, and I thank my parents for coming to California and for raising me in California as an American citizen, even though they were raised in Mexico.

I think it's important for us to understand that I'm proud of growing up in a family where my father owned a business, and he taught me and explained to me, with his first-grade education in Mexico, he told me time and time again, as well as telling my 10 brothers and sisters, you have an opportunity for an education. You need to take advantage of that opportunity, and we did.

I'm very proud to say that my mother had a second-grade education, my father had a first-grade education, but their children now have doctorate degrees, master's degrees, bachelor's degrees, engineers, teachers, psychologists, all raised in one humble home in Pacoima.

That is the American experience, ladies and gentlemen. And one thing that I'm very proud to say as well about our 10 families, now that we're raising our own American families, every single one of our households pays more annually in taxes than my mother and father's home ever made in one given year. I'll say that again. From a humble home where a man and a woman together raised their children, their entire annual income did not equal the amount of taxes that each one of their sons and daughters now pay today.

To me, that's the exclamation point on everything we've talked about tonight. We've talked about how important it is to the Social Security system. It will boost that. We talked about how it is to the deficit that we hear about on this floor so many times. It will actually erase $850 billion from our U.S. deficit.

There are so many benefits that will benefit not only our coffers here in Washington, which benefits America, but will actually benefit hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of American-born citizens that will work in those industries that are created and spearheaded by immigrants to this country.

And I must say this. I would like to read a few of the names of immigrants born outside of this country who created businesses in this country that many of us use everyday and recognize:

Sergey Brin from Russia, cofounder of Google;

Pierre Omidyar, an Iranian immigrant from France, one of the cofounders of eBay, Inc.;

Jerry Yang from Taiwan, cofounder of Yahoo;

James L. Kraft, a Canadian, cofounder of Kraft Foods, Inc.;

Levi Strauss, a man from Germany, founder of Levi-Strauss in California;

Liz Claiborne from Belgium, founder of Liz Claiborne, Inc. If you think clothes don't mean much, that's a United States company worth $5 billion;

Andrew Grove from Hungary, cofounder of Intel, a company worth $112 billion;

Kevork S. Hovnanian from Iraq, founder of Hovnanian Enterprises, a homebuilder that in 2011 had revenues of $1.1 billion.

And the list goes on and on and and on. Every single one of those individuals made their second life here in our great country. And it's because there was a time that in this country we embraced everyone from around the world. And all we asked of them is that they just obey the laws once they are here and that they do well with the opportunities that our great country affords every human being when they are here.

We have one of the highest standards of living in the world. And there's a reason for that. Because there was a time for many, many years that we welcomed people to our shores. At this time where we just reopened the Statute of Liberty, it's time for us to embrace people from around the world and for us to recognize it's not just about doing the right thing for them. It is the right thing for every American citizen born in this country. The benefits economically are tremendous.

There are no losers, ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to the United States Congress doing the right thing. Let's put a comprehensive immigration bill through our process and on the desk of this President and let's watch this country thrive. Our great country deserves it.

Once again, I would like to thank everybody who participated, and I yield back the balance of my time.