In remarks on the Senate floor, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) praised President Biden's move to provide legal protections for undocumented spouses of US Citizens.
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:
https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript
Stay Connected
Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes
Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes
More From Forbes: http://forbes.com
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00On immigration, 12 years ago this week, President Obama announced the creation of DACA, one
00:07of the most important programs in our country's history on immigration.
00:11It changed the lives of thousands – hundreds of thousands – of young people for the better.
00:16People who came to this country when they were very little and who, for all intents
00:19and purposes, knew America as their only home.
00:23Today, President Biden is announcing the most significant relief program for immigrants
00:27since DACA, expanding protection for hundreds of thousands of undocumented spouses of U.S.
00:34citizens.
00:35They are not documented, but they are married to a U.S. citizen.
00:39I applaud President Biden for today's truly significant announcement.
00:44It's going to help keep hundreds of thousands of families together.
00:47That's what it does – bring families together, keep them together.
00:53It will provide peace of mind and dignity, and most of all, opportunity to contribute
00:59so that these people can contribute to this country even more.
01:04The announcement will help make our economy stronger, as these spouses will be eligible
01:08for work permits at a time when there's a shortage of workers in so many different
01:12professions, and give them a long-term path to stability.
01:16The announcement is an affirmation of what America is truly about at its core – a land
01:21built by immigrants, a land of opportunity for people who want to contribute to this
01:26country, who know that our way of life is the best way, if you work hard, to get ahead
01:31and provide a better life for your children.
01:34The vast majority of those who will benefit from today's announcement have been in this
01:37country for decades.
01:38An average of 23 years they've been here, but in a state of limbo, according to the
01:44White House.
01:46To them, America is home.
01:49America is where they built families.
01:51America is where they gained skills, worked hard, contributed to our economy, earned a
01:56living and had children, who will often go on and do better things than them.
02:01That's the American dream.
02:02That's the American story.
02:03And that's been true for generation after generation, until a MAGA group of Republicans
02:08decided that they were anti-immigrant.
02:11Let's not forget, President Reagan, President H.W. Bush, President W. Bush were both all
02:17pro-immigration until this 180-degree reversal by the Republican Party to be anti-immigrant,
02:24which hurts America.
02:25Of course we need to secure our borders.
02:27Of course.
02:28No one denies that.
02:30But to just bash immigrants is bad for America.
02:34Bad for America.
02:36Fighting for dreamers and pushing for comprehensive immigration reform is one of the issues that
02:41has burned strongest inside me since I joined the Senate.
02:45I was proud of leading the Gang of Eight, bipartisan, with John McCain over ten years
02:50ago to pass comprehension immigration reform, which passed the House with strong bipartisan
02:55support – I think it got 68 or 69 votes – before House Republicans killed the bill.
03:01House Republicans poisoned by the thinking of the MAGA Republicans in their midst.
03:07I today celebrate today's announcement, but Congress must do its part.
03:12Republicans must stop getting in the way of meaningful, comprehensive immigration reform
03:16and getting in the way of border security.
03:19They wouldn't even support our tough border bill put together with bipartisan vote.
03:24We're going to keep working until we get the job done, both in securing the border
03:29and in making America welcome to many immigrants who will work hard to become American citizens
03:35eventually.
03:36Thank you, and I yield the floor.