Hoyer Remarks at Rally with Immigration Advocates to Protect DREAMers and Bring the DREAM Act to the Floor
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) joined a rally held by CASA and immigration advocates to protect DREAMers and call on Republicans to bring the DREAM Act to the Floor for a vote and extend Temporary Protective Status. Below is a transcript of his remarks:
“Welcome to the government that you support. Welcome to the community that you have helped create. I understand that you’re going to be meeting with a lot of Members today, Members of Congress. They will try to be nice to you, and maybe they will be nice to you, and they will say nice things.
“We are making an effort to bring the DREAM Act to the Floor. Gustavo and I are talking about making sure it also protects those with Temporary Protective Status. And when you talk to Members of Congress, you’re going to talk to some Democrats and you’re going to talk to some Republicans. Gustavo said that I count the votes. Every Democratic Member with whom you meet will vote for the DREAM Act. I guarantee it.
“Many Republicans will tell you they are for making sure that you are safe. Some will say they’re for the DREAM Act. We need to get the DREAM Act on the Floor of the House so we can vote. There is a[n] effort that we have made that says ‘bring the bill to the Floor.’ Democrats are going to sign that piece of paper which says bring the bill to the Floor. If our Republicans friends who say they are for the DREAM Act, but won’t sign the paper to get it to the Floor, it’s like saying ‘I love ya, but I’m not going to do anything for ya.’
“And so my friends, it is important that you bring the message to our Members of Congress that you know the difference between being for the DREAM Act and making sure that the DREAM Act is voted on. Because when it’s voted on, it will pass and it will pass because the majority of the American people are for it. Not just the Members of Congress, not just those of you in this group, here on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol, but the majority of Americans are for this. And the majority ought to rule. And we ought to have the Members of Congress provide for the opportunity for the voice of the majority to be heard.
“And Gustavo, the fact that all these folks are here is very important. People come to this Capitol and the Constitution says we have the right to redress grievances, to come to the Congress and ask for redress of grievances. This is what America is about. This is America, people coming to the Capitol of the United States and saying, ‘I live here. I work here. I raised my family here. I pay taxes here.’
“And I want the DREAMers to be safe. I don’t want people sent back to countries where they will be unsafe, where they will be subject to disease, where there are wars going on in that country. And that is why we need to save TPS.
“So my friends, thank you. Thank you for being here, thank you for raising your voices, thank you for taking the time out of your schedules to be here and talk to Members of Congress.
“Democracy works if the people raise their voice. If the people make their wishes known, and that’s what you’re doing. God bless you. Keep on keepin’ on, and we will win because we are right. God bless you.”