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Pelosi Remarks at Press Event on Dream and Promise Act & Farm Workforce Modernization Act

March 18, 2021
Contact: Speaker's Press Office,
202-226-7616
Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi joined the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and House Democrats for a press event ahead of House passage of H.R. 6, the Dream and Promise Act, and H.R. 1603, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, two vital and popular bills to modernize and reform our immigration system and secure permanent protections and a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who are key to our economy and our nation. Below are the Speaker's remarks:
Speaker Pelosi. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. This is a very special day for us. In fact, weather permitting, we would have been on the steps of the Capitol, to say to the world that we are making a very big difference in how we respect the beautiful diversity of America, how we respect the fact that immigration is the constant reinvigoration of America. We're allotted one minute, so I will be as brief as I can be.
I want to just say that this is a day for – many of our Members have participated for a long time – but for Lucille Roybal-Allard. In 2010, she authored this legislation, which passed on the Floor, and it did so with the full, Mr. Chairman, full support of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. The Hispanic Caucus made the difference in passing that legislation. You're doing so again, now with the Tri-Caucus, represented by – from the AAPI community, Congresswoman Strickland, Freshman from Washington State and Yvette Clarke, a longtime supporter of immigration issues from the Congressional Black Caucus, Congresswoman Clarke of New York. And when we go to the Floor today, as I said, this is a big day for Lucille because of the DREAM Act, which she sponsored.
But it's also now the Dream and Promise Act, and the promise part of the bill is – the TPS part of it is authored by Congresswoman Velázquez, Madam Chair of the Small Business Committee. When we passed the bill in 2010, the sponsor of the bill was Lucille and Howard Berman, and the Chair of the [Hispanic] Caucus was Congresswoman Velázquez, as she took the lead as Mr. Ruiz has today in persuading other Members to vote for the bill. So, thank you for making it possible then. Thank you for expanding it now to TPS and DED, et cetera.
So, this is, again for Lucille, the farmer worker bill – the Farm Workforce Modernization Act that we've talked about here is in her DNA because her father was instrumental, Congressman [Roybal], Mr. Chairman, way back when, in establishing the farmworkers. So, Steny – oh, Steny's not here, but Steny and I served with him on the Appropriations Committee. We knew well his great work in the Congress, but also what he brought to the Congress in terms of such a history.
And in this room, one year ago, the last event that we had before COVID prevented further events, we celebrated the 90th birthday of Dolores Huerta. So, there's so much coming together for us here.
Let me just close by quoting Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan said, ‘If we ever close the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would be lost.' It's always been a pleasure for me to sing the praises of our Dreamers. They make us so proud. They have in so many ways, as the distinguished Chair has indicated. So, for us, this is a day of not only passing legislation, but a cause for celebration.
With that, I'm very pleased to yield to the person – as I said, this is her day for many reasons, Madam Chair, the Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of Appropriations, where she has fought this fight for a long time, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard.
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