Sen. Durbin introduces Bridge Act VIDEO

Chyno.02 · 03:05 PM

Transcript

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MR. DURBIN: THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT. SIX YEARS AGO, I JOINED WITH SENATOR DICK LUGAR IN A BIPARTISAN REQUEST OF PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DO SOMETHING TO PROTECT THE DREAMERS, THOSE YOUNG KIDS BROUGHT TO AMERICA AS BABIES AND INFANTS, TODDLERS AND TEENAGERS WHO WERE UNDOCUMENTED LIVING IN AMERICA AND HAD NO PLACE OTHER THAN AMERICA TO CALL HOME. WE WANTED THESE DREAMERS TO HAVE A CHANCE, NOT TO BE DEPORTED, A CHANCE TO GO TO SCHOOL, A CHANCE TO WORK, A CHANCE TO PROVE THEMSELVES AND BECOME PART OF THE FUTURE OF AMERICA.

PRESIDENT OBAMA CREATED THE DACA PROGRAM BY EXECUTIVE ORDER, AND DESPITE THE POLITICAL CONTROVERSY OF THAT DECISION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE AISLE, THE FACT IS IT WAS A LIFELINE FOR UP TO 800,000 WHO HAVE NOW COME FORWARD. THEY HAVE PAID THEIR FILING FEE, IT'S SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NOTHING IN THEIR BACKGROUND TO DISQUALIFY THEM FROM STAYING IN THE UNITED STATES, AND THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN A TEMPORARY APPROVAL TO STAY HERE WITHOUT FEAR OF DEPORTATION AND TO WORK. AND SO THEY HAVE GONE ON TO COLLEGES AND MEDICAL SCHOOLS AND LAW SCHOOLS. THEY HAVE TAKEN IMPORTANT JOBS. THEY HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO SERVE IN OUR MILITARY. THEY ARE PROVING THAT THEY WANT TO BE PART OF AMERICA'S FUTURE. NOW, IF THAT EXECUTIVE ORDER, DACA, IS ELIMINATED, WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM, AND THAT'S BEEN A CONCERN AND A FEAR. NOT JUST ON THIS SIDE OF THE AISLE BUT THE OTHER SIDE AS WELL. I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM HAS STEPPED FORWARD. WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER ON A MEASURE WE CALL THE BRIDGE ACT WHICH WE ARE GOING TO INTRODUCE TODAY. THIS IS AN EFFORT BY SENATOR GRAHAM AND MYSELF TO HAVE A BIPARTISAN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO THESE 800,000 AND OTHERS LIKE THEM WHILE WE DEBATE THE FUTURE OF IMMIGRATION. I THINK WHAT WE'RE TAKING IS A REASONABLE STEP FORWARD.

AS PAUL RYAN, THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE SAID THE OTHER DAY, THERE IS NO NEED TO DISRUPT THEIR LIVES. AS THE PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP SAID RECENTLY IN "TIME" MAGAZINE, WE'RE GOING TO WORK OUT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY AND PROUD. SPEAKING OF THE DREAMERS, PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP SAID THEY GOT BROUGHT HERE AT A VERY YOUNG AGE. THEY HAVE WORKED HERE, THEY HAVE GONE TO SCHOOL HERE. SOME ARE GOOD STUDENTS. SOME HAVE WONDERFUL JOBS AND THEY ARE IN A NEVER-NEVER LAND BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM. SO SENATOR GRAHAM AND I ARE PROPOSING THIS LEGISLATION TODAY, AND WE INVITE MEMBERS TO JOIN US IN SUPPORTING IT. IT'S SIMPLE. IT WOULD PROVIDE PROTECTION FROM DEPORTATION AND LEGAL AUTHORITY TO CONTINUE WORKING AND STUDYING TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR DACA. THE BRIDGE ACT HAS A NEW TERM, NOT DACA, BUT PROVISIONAL PROTECTED PRESENCE. IF YOU HAVE DACA NOW, YOU WOULD RECEIVE PROVISIONAL PROTECTED STATUS UNTIL YOUR DACA EXPIRES AND YOU CAN APPLY FOR AN EXTENSION. IF YOU DON'T HAVE DACA PROTECTION NOW BUT YOU'RE ELIGIBLE, YOU COULD ALSO APPLY FOR THIS PROVISIONAL PROTECTED PRESENCE. APPLICANTS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO PAY A REASONABLE FEE, BE SUBJECT TO CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS AND MEET THE SAME ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA THAT CURRENTLY APPLIES TO DACA. THIS LEGAL STATUS WOULD BE GOOD FOR THREE YEARS. DACA IS ONLY GOOD FOR TWO YEARS BUT RENEWABLE.

THE STATUS WE'RE CREATING WOULD BE GOOD FOR THREE YEARS AFTER THE BRIDGE ACT BECOMES LAW. I BELIEVE THIS LEGISLATION WILL ATTRACT BROAD SUPPORT FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE, BUT LET ME BE CLEAR -- THE BRIDGE ACT THAT WE ARE INTRODUCING TODAY IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR BROADER LEGISLATION TO FIX OUR BROKEN IMMIGRATION SYSTEM, AND THIS BILL SHOULD NOT BE TIED TO OTHER UNRELATED MEASURES. LET'S TAKE CARE OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE IN DOUBT ABOUT TOMORROW BEFORE WE DEBATE THE LARGER AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION ABOUT IMMIGRATION REFORM WHICH HAS SO MANY FACETS. SENATOR GRAHAM AND I WERE TWO MEMBERS OF THE BIPARTISAN GANG OF EIGHT, REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS WHO AUTHORED COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM LEGISLATION THAT PASSED THE SENATE. WE BOTH BELIEVE THE CONGRESS MUST CONSIDER LEGISLATION TO DEAL WITH ALL ASPECTS OF THE IMMIGRATION LAW.

IN PARTICULAR, I STRONGLY BELIEVE PERSONALLY, PERSONALLY I BELIEVE WE NEED A PATH TO CITIZENSHIP, NOT JUST FOR DREAMERS BUT TO THEIR PARENTS AND OTHER UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE LIVING IN THE SHADOWS BUT BY EVERY MEASURE SHOULD BE GIVEN A CHANCE TO PROVE THEMSELVES IN AMERICA. BUT WE NEED TO PASS THE BRIDGE ACT QUICKLY AND TO ENSURE THE DREAMERS WHO CAME FORWARD TO REGISTER FOR DACA DO NOT LOSE CRITICAL WORK PERMITS. THERE ARE 28 MEDICAL STUDENTS, MADAM PRESIDENT, AT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE IN CHICAGO. THEY ARE DACA ELIGIBLE. THEY COMPETED NATIONALLY. THEY WEREN'T GIVEN ANY SPECIFIC SLOTS. THEY WERE ACCEPTED TO MEDICAL SCHOOL. IF THEY LOSE THEIR WORK PERMIT, THEY HAVE TO DROP OUT OF MEDICAL SCHOOL. THEY CAN'T DO THEIR CLINICAL WORK, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO MEDICAL EDUCATION.

SO LET'S NOT LOSE THEM AND OTHERS WHO CAN SERVE OUR COUNTRY IN THE FUTURE. OVER THE YEARS, I HAVE COME TO THE FLOOR TO TELL STORIES OF THESE DREAMERS, AND I'D LIKE TO TELL ONE TODAY ABOUT JAVIER KWAN MARTINEZ. HE CAME AT THE AGE OF 4 FROM MEXICO WITH HIS PARENTS AT 4 YEARS OLD. WENT TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN TEXAS. MOVED TO TICOULA, CALIFORNIA. HE WAS AN EXCELLENT STUDENT INVOLVED IN MANY ACTIVITIES. A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY. NAMED RIVERSIDE COUNTY STUDENT OF THE MONTH. HE RECEIVED AN AWARD FROM THE COLLEGE BOARDS NATIONAL HISPANIC RECOGNITION PROGRAM GIVEN TO ONLY 5,000 OF THE 250,000 HISPANIC STUDENTS WHO TOOK THE TEST. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE MATH CLUB, DRUM MAJOR IN THE SCHOOL'S MARCHING BAND, VOLUNTEERED AT HIS TOWN'S SOUP KITCHEN FOR THE HOMELESS AND RECEIVED THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD. HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HE WAS UNDOCUMENTED UNTIL HE WAS APPLYING FOR COLLEGE AND HE LEARNED THAT HE WAS INELIGIBLE FOR ANY FEDERAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO GO TO SCHOOL. THANKS TO HIS ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS, THIS YOUNG MAN WAS ACCEPTED AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY. HE IS NOW A SOPHOMORE MAJORING IN COMPUTER SCIENCE, A MEMBER OF THE HARVARD COMPUTER SOCIETY AND HARVARD'S MARCHING BAND. THANKS TO DACA, HE IS SUPPORTING HIMSELF BY WORKING AS A WEB DEVELOPER. HE SENT ME A LETTER, AND HERE'S WHAT HE SAID.

"DACA DOESN'T GIVE ME AN ADVANTAGE. RATHER, IT GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE MY OWN FUTURE ON THE SAME GROUNDS AS ANY OTHER STUDENT. I'D LIKE TO BE JUDGED UPON MY QUALITIES AS A PERSON RATHER THAN WHAT PAPERS I HAPPEN TO HAVE IN HAND. I HOPE TO BE A COMPUTER PROGRAMMER AND BEGIN EARNING MY LIVING AS A CONTRIBUTING MEMBER OF AMERICA'S SOCIETY." CONSIDER THIS. EVERY YEAR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IMPORTS GUEST WORKERS TO DO COMPUTER PROGRAMMING ON H-1B H-1B VISAS. SO DOES IT MAKE ANY SENSE TO DEPORT THIS YOUNG MAN WHO COULD FILL ONE OF THOSE IMPORTANT JOBS WHO WAS EDUCATED AND RAISED IN THE UNITED STATES AND WANTS TO STAY AND BE PART OF OUR FUTURE? JAVIER AND OTHER DREAMERS HAVE SO MUCH TO GIVE AMERICA, BUT IF DACA IS ELIMINATED, HE WILL LOSE HIS LEGAL STATUS. HE COULD BE DEPORTED BACK TO MEXICO, A COUNTRY HE BARELY KNOWS AND LEFT WHEN HE WAS 4 YEARS OLD. WILL AMERICA BE STRONGER IF WE DEPORT HIM? I DON'T THINK SO. THE ANSWER IS OBVIOUS. I HOPE THAT PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP WILL UNDERSTAND THIS AND WILL CONTINUE THE DACA PROGRAM OR ENCOURAGE THE PASSAGE OF THE BRIDGE PROGRAM AS WE MOVE FORWARD. IF HE DECIDES TO END DACA, THE PRESIDENT-ELECT CAN THEN TURN TO CONGRESS AND ASK US TO DO OUR PART BY PASSING THE BRIDGE ACT. MADAM PRESIDENT, I YIELD THE FLOOR.

Some people believe Trump is in it as well. This gives me hope and I feel that as long as Trump knows about this we will be fine.

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Dreamer999 · 12-09-2016, 04:56 PM

Do you think we would have to reapply for the bridge act if our DACA does not expire until 2018?

Chyno.02 · 12-09-2016, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dreamer999

Do you think we would have to reapply for the bridge act if our DACA does not expire until 2018?

There is no renewal. Which is why this bill is not a good idea, but rather a good way to start up a CIR or something for us DACAers which Trump has been saying lately.

2MoreYears · 12-09-2016, 06:11 PM

isn't that how TPS works ? it has to be renewed by congress every X years ? shit PPP will be just like TPS.

DACA-IR-DA · 12-10-2016, 02:26 AM

What about aged out Dreamers? The one who would qualify for eDACA from 2014?

They need you!

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Sen. Durbin introduces Bridge Act VIDEO