Juan Vargas

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on my colleagues to expand the deferred action guidelines to provide deportation relief for the immediate relatives of U.S. citizens, Legal Permanent Residents and DREAMers. Earlier this month, I joined some of my colleagues in asking President Obama to use his prosecutorial discretion at all levels of immigration enforcement proceedings. A majority of my colleagues and I are committed to comprehensive immigration reform and have demanded a vote on the House Floor. It is imperative that the House put politics aside and work together to reach a compromise that will benefit our country, strengthen our economy, and allow 11 million people to step out of the shadows. The House must enact immigration reform that is fair and reflects the highest values of our nation. We are a country of immigrants and how we treat those who aspire to be citizens reflects our democracy's commitment to uphold the moral principles upon which our nation was built. As we continue to fight for comprehensive immigration reform, we cannot ignore the fact that families and communities are being torn apart on a daily basis. The impact of watching a parent, sibling or child being ripped away from the family unit is crushing and causes untold damage. We must restore judicial discretion and expand deferred action guidelines to provide deportation relief to immigrants who have done nothing wrong but seek a better life for their children, their families, and themselves.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Dr. Timothy J. Winters, Pastor Emeritus who led the Bayview Baptist Church in San Diego from 1973 to 2013 and offered spiritual guidance to thousands of people within the region. Pastor Winters came to San Diego by way of the United States Navy, in which he served until his honorable discharge. Following his career with the U.S. Navy, Pastor Winters became a San Diego Police officer for over 10 years. Some of those who served with him spoke warmly of his ``no nonsense'' attitude on the job and the leather jacket he became known for wearing almost as a part of his uniform. Pastor Winters presided over the Bayview Baptist Church when it built the 40,000 square foot Martin Luther King, Jr. Christian Center, which houses its ever-expanding Christian Education ministry and the Nubia Leadership Academy. Pastor Winters was a minister of vision who expanded the Bayview Baptist Church from 60 families to a congregation of more than 2,500 followers. Pastor Winters is survived by his wife, Mrs. Betty Winters, daughters Phyllis and Tori, grandchildren, extended family members, close friends, including Senior Pastor Terry Wayne Brooks, and the Bayview Baptist Church family. Pastor Winters was an exemplary member of our community and showed an admirable commitment to improving the spiritual lives of residents within San Diego County. I would like to commend him for his leadership and thank him for his contributions to the community.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Southwestern Community College student journalism publications. Southwestern College, in Chula Vista, California, is one of our region's premier journalism programs whereby students publish a newspaper and a magazine for the students and surrounding community members. With the journalism students' dedication, Southwestern College has asserted itself as one of the top college newspapers in the nation with their newspaper, The Sun. Additionally, these dedicated journalism students devoted off-time hours to design, create and publish a magazine, El Sol. They were also instrumental in finding the funding in order to publish their student magazine. Southwestern College has reason to be proud of their Journalism Department's accomplishments and the hard work and dedication of student advisor Max Branscomb, Ed.D., should also be recognized. As the recipient of the Society of Professional Journalists National Journalism Teacher of the Year award, Dr. Branscomb's dedication to the field of journalism is creating an environment whereby the results of his instruction are motivating students toward careers in journalism. In honor of Dr. Branscomb and the Southwestern College students in the Journalism Department, I do hereby recognize February 6, 2014, as the ``Southwestern College Journalism Students Day'' in the City of Chula Vista.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 23 I voted ``yea,'' I wanted to vote ``nay.''

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I ask that today we extend the crucial and critical unemployment insurance lifeline to the 1.3 million jobless Americans who have already lost coverage. In California alone, 214,000 people have already lost their unemployment coverage, including almost 19,000 people in San Diego County and 3,500 people in Imperial County. With unemployment unacceptably high, now is not the time to take money out of the pockets of those who are struggling to find work. Unemployed Americans are actively looking for work but, unfortunately, are unable to find jobs in our economy. We must continue to provide unemployment benefits to jobless Americans so they can purchase crucial life needs like food and shelter. So let us heed the better angels of our nature and immediately restore unemployment benefits to out-of-work Americans.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to extend the critical unemployment insurance lifeline to the 1.3 million Americans who have already lost coverage. Tragically, another 1.9 million Americans are set to lose benefits over the first 6 months of this year if we do not act. In California alone, over 214,000 people have already lost their unemployment coverage, including 19,000 people in San Diego County and 3,500 people in Imperial County. Approximately 326,000 more Californians stand to lose their coverage in the first 6 months of 2014. With unemployment unacceptably high, now is not the time to take money out of the pockets of those who are struggling. For jobless Americans, unemployment benefits are used to purchase basic lifeline needs like food and shelter and immediate necessities. The time is clicking. Let's do the right thing.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Rondal K. Moore, of Aurora, Colorado, who passed away from a stroke on November 12th at age of 71. Rondal was born on May 25, 1942 in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the son of Clarence Delmer and Golden Viola Moore. In 1961, he graduated from Wheeler County High School in Fossil, Oregon. He went on to serve in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War on board the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea as well as duty in Rhode Island at the Naval War College. In the spring of 1963, he married Nancy E. Heily and on March 29th of this year they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Rondal began working for United Airlines in 1966 and spent decades in the field of de-icing until retiring in 2003 after 37 years. He held multiple patents for inventions in both information and system operations as well as software products used in the process of de- icing. His inventions and patents are still in use today in order to help determine check time for de-icing fluid, which allows for safe airline travel during inclement weather. My thoughts and prayers go out to his surviving family member including his wife of 50 years, Nancy Moore, of Aurora, Colorado; his son, Jason Moore, of Chula Vista, CA; his daughter, Sondra LaValley, of Aurora, CO; and his sister, Carol Ellis, of Kennewick, WA.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Rondal K. Moore of Aurora, Colorado, who passed away from a stroke on November 12 at the age of 71. Mr. Moore was born on March 25, 1942, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, the son of Clarence Delmer and Golden Viola Moore. In 1961, Mr. Moore graduated from Wheeler County High School in Fossil, Oregon. He went on to serve in the United States Navy during the Vietnam war onboard the aircraft carrier USS Coral Seas, as well as duty in Rhode Island at the Naval War College. In the spring of 1963, he married Nancy E. Heily, and on March 29 of this year they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Mr. Moore began working for United Airlines in 1966 and spent decades in the field of de-icing, until retiring in 2003 after 37 years. He held multiple patents for inventions in both information and system operations, as well as software products used in the process of de-icing. His inventions and patents are still in use today in order to help determine check time for de-icing fluids, which allows for safe travel during inclement weather. My thoughts and prayers go out to his surviving family members, including his wife of 50 years, Nancy Moore, of Aurora, Colorado; his son, Jason Moore, of Chula Vista, California, also a Navy veteran; his daughter, Sondra LaValley, of Aurora, Colorado; and his sister, Carol Ellis, of Kennewick, Washington.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in memory of First Lieutenant Jennifer Moreno who died on October 6, 2013 in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Lieutenant Moreno died of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near her dismounted patrol. Lieutenant Moreno was a member of the Cultural Support Team supporting a Joint Special Operations Task Force for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Born and raised in San Diego, Lieutenant Moreno graduated from San Diego High School and went on to receive a bachelor degree in Nursing from the University of San Francisco. She was commissioned to the U.S. Army as a Nurse Corps Officer where she served as a Clinical Staff Nurse on a medical surgical unit. The Commander of the Ranger battalion, Lt. Col Patrick Ellis, said: ``She was a talented member of our team who lost her life while serving her country in one of the most dangerous environments in the world. Her bravery and self- sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the 75th Ranger Regiment.'' Her awards and decorations are numerous, including being awarded the Bronze Star posthumously. Mr. Speaker, I know we all extend our deepest condolences to her family and friends who have suffered this tragic loss. Her loved ones will continue to be in our thoughts and prayers.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in memory of 1st Lieutenant Jennifer Moreno, who died on October 6, 2013, in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Lieutenant Moreno died of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near her dismounted patrol. Lieutenant Moreno was a member of the Cultural Support Team supporting a Joint Special Operations Task Force for the U.S. Army's Special Operations Command. Born and raised in San Diego, Lieutenant Moreno graduated from San Diego High School and went on to receive a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of San Francisco. She was commissioned in the United States Army as a nurse corps officer, where she served as a clinical staff nurse on a medical surgical unit. The commander of the Ranger battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Ellis, said, ``She was a talented member of our team who lost her life while serving her country in one of the most dangerous environments in the world. Her bravery and self-sacrifice were in keeping with the highest traditions of the 75th Ranger Regiment.'' Her awards and decorations are numerous, including being awarded the Bronze Star posthumously. Madam Speaker, I know we all extend our deepest condolences to her family and friends who have suffered this tragic loss. Her loved ones will continue to be in our thoughts and prayers.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, in the short time that I have been here, I have had the honor of meeting many of my colleagues on the Republican side, and I have found them to be very honorable people. In fact, I have had the solemn opportunity to pray with them. They love their families, they love their country, they love their community, just like we do. And I would hope that we could both stand back on this issue, reopen the government, and find a way to get to a compromise. I think that reasonable people can get there. So I pray that we are granted wisdom on both sides to step back, to take a look at what we're doing, and to see how many people are being hurt in our communities and around the country. This is not the way I think that we should be acting. I think we are better than that. Again, I pray for wisdom.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Kaiser Permanente's Southern California Physicians Medical Group (SCPMG) on their 60th Anniversary. As a leading provider of health care services for more than 500,000 San Diegans this is truly an historic occasion for their organization. Since its modest beginnings in 1953, SCPMG has grown to become the nation's second largest private multi-specialty group practice. In 1967, Kaiser Permanente introduced the ``integrated'' model of healthcare to San Diego with the opening of its first hospital and medical center. With over 1,100 SCPMG physicians in the San Diego service area, they provide care at two medical centers and 24 outpatient offices and annually see more than 2.9 million patients. They have established San Diego Medical Center as a premier destination for the treatment of strokes as well as having been certified a ``baby-friendly'' hospital. SCPMG sites also serve as academic institutions where SCPMG physicians help mentor Kaiser Foundation graduate medical residents and fellows. SCPMG is helping to shape the future of health care in our nation through the use of advanced technology and the creation of innovative solutions that will have a lasting impact. I would like to commend SCPMG on their 60th Anniversary and thank them for their contributions to the community.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition of this bill. Senator Dole is right: this is no time to play politics with hunger. I want to thank those in the faith community that have come out against these cuts to the nutrition program because of the moral imperative in the Bible from Matthew 25: When I was hungry, you gave me to eat. I want to thank in particular Reverend David Beckman, who writes: The proposed cuts are a clear indication that some in Congress underestimate the hunger that is present in American homes. The bill picks on the poorest people in the country. This is morally and economically unacceptable, especially as some areas continue to experience high unemployment. I also want to thank Reverend Stephen Blaire, who said: Adequate and nutritious food is a fundamental human right and the basic need that is integral to protecting the life and dignity of the human person. Please, defeat this bill. It's the wrong thing to do. In a country as rich as our own, we can feed the poor. It's the most basic imperative in the Bible.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on Syria. The real issue is that the Assad regime gassed more than 426 children and their parents. Those who perished died a horrific, merciless, and completely unnecessary death. We must come together and act with the President to create a credible threat of force and, thereby, deter the future use of chemical weapons. Now, I am somewhat optimistic that, as recently reported, Syria is willing to place its chemical weapons under international control. This solution could possibly bring a peaceful resolution. But we must remember that Iran is also watching. The Ayatollah is looking to see if the U.S. is willing to stand up against those who gas their own people. Will they really stand up then against the plan to build nuclear weapons? We need to stand with the President and send a message to the world that we mean what we say: that we won't allow Assad to keep gassing his own people and that we won't allow Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Michael Loyd for the outstanding commitment and dedication he has demonstrated to the community and our nation throughout his 29 years of service in law enforcement. Michael Loyd began his law enforcement career as a police officer with the El Cajon Police Department. Soon after, Michael Loyd joined the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control as an investigator, where he was one of the original investigators assigned to the Specialized Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team. In 1994, Michael Loyd joined the Attorney General's office as a Special Agent with the Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement, first in the Orange County office, and later in the San Diego office. In 2001, Michael Loyd began serving on the Imperial County Narcotics Task Force, where he is currently the Senior Commander. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Michael Loyd for his selfless commitment to protecting and serving our nation and commend him for his long and distinguished service in law enforcement.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in the memory of Beatriz Arredondo, an inspiring woman who embodied the spirit of love and compassion. Beatriz, or ``Nena'' as she was called by her loved ones, passed away on June 28, 2013. Beatriz was born on January 16, 1943, in Tamaulipas, Mexico. At a very young age, she knew that she wanted to be a loving wife and mother, and she dreamed of one day seeing her grandchildren. She accomplished these goals magnificently. Fifty-four years ago, she met Ernesto Arredondo, Sr. and they were married for 46 years. They have four beautiful children--Ernesto, Jr., Edoardo, Everardo, and Elizabeth. Beatriz is survived by her husband, her children, and her 10 grandchildren. As is said in St. Paul's Second Letter to Timothy: She fought the good fight. She finished the race. She kept the faith. She is now in God's arms. Our prayers are with the Arredondo family.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. I want to thank the gentleman from California for yielding to allow me to speak on this very important issue to California. But I especially want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for putting it in the context of our faith and our faith communities and our faith tradition. He, of course, quoted famously from Matthew 25. He could have quoted from Leviticus. In fact, I would like to do that now, from Leviticus 19:33-34: When an alien resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native born. Love them as yourself for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God. And I have to ask, are we keeping that commandment? Are we keeping that rule? Are we keeping that pronouncement? Of course we're not. I wish that we were. Immigration reform is vital to the economy of our country and, in particular, to California and my district. California is unique in that it is home to the technology industry, which relies heavily and highly on skilled talent and has an incredibly successful agriculture industry, which needs a temporary worker program that provides a predictable workforce. The more California business leaders I speak with, the more apparent it is that immigration reform is the key to stimulating our economy and encouraging job growth. Ruben Barrales, the immediate past president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and current head of the Republican Political Action Committee, GROW Elect said: It is the responsibility of national leaders to modernize our immigration laws to help the United States remain competitive in the global economy. Comprehensive immigration reform should help to attract and retain highly skilled immigrants, and should provide some pathway to legalization for qualified undocumented immigrants. We must welcome immigrants, who continue to strengthen our economy and reinvigorate our society. The California Chamber of Commerce is also acutely aware of the immense value that surrounds successful immigration reform. The California Chamber of Commerce, along with 29 other chambers, including the El Centro Chamber in my district, signed a letter stating that they stand united in adopting comprehensive reform. The letter states: Immigration reform is especially important to California as there are approximately 2.6 million undocumented immigrants in California, 23 percent of the Nation's total. The uncertainty over their legal status is a drag on our economy and, if resolved, would stimulate consumer spending and investment. Many of those who are in California have called our State home for more than 10 years, becoming Americans in all but legal status. Californians would benefit from more than 18,000 jobs created each year as a result of comprehensive immigration reform, according to a 2013 study by the Center for American Progress. Moreover, California would see a 10-year cumulative increase in gross state product of $125.5 billion, an increase of earnings of all California residents of $68.2 billion, and, finally, an increase in taxes paid by undocumented immigrants by $5.22 billion. There is no denying that immigration reform is an economically sound decision, and I urge my Republican colleagues to work with us to achieve real, valuable, economically beneficial immigration reform. And I respectfully ask that, again, they look at their own faith because that's really the basis of this. We know it's the right thing to do. Look to Genesis. Look to Leviticus. Look especially to Matthew 25, and you'll see in your hearts, this is the right thing to do.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. I rise today to speak on the pressing and important issue of immigration reform. Yesterday, the Senate took a necessary step forward in the effort to enact comprehensive immigration reform. Now it is imperative that the House put politics aside and that we work together to reach a compromise that will benefit our country, strengthen our economy, and allow 11 million people to step out of the shadows. The House must enact immigration reform that is fair and reflects the highest values of our Nation. We are a country of immigrants, and how we treat those who aspire to be citizens reflects our democracy's commitment to uphold the moral principles upon which our Nation was built. I urge the Republican leadership to bring the Senate bill to the House so we can finish the crucial work the Senate began and finally fix our immigration system. I also want to thank all of the faith groups that keep praying for all of us to pass a comprehensive bill. It is obviously working.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, today I pay tribute to Mr. Jamie P.D. Fleet, II, Democratic Staff Director for the Committee on House Administration. In this role, Mr. Fleet is responsible for coordinating and overseeing the operations of the House, including human resources, finance, technology, security, and other areas of operations. His guidance, mentorship, and leadership have been invaluable assets to his staff and colleagues, and to all Congressional offices. The Committee provides oversight of the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institution, Government Printing Office, and the appointed House Officers including the Clerk of the House, Sergeant at Arms and Chief Administrative Officer, Inspector General. Mr. Fleet played a central role in the oversight of federal elections, which is one of the most important responsibilities of the Committee. During the 111th Congress, the Committee, under Mr. Fleet's management, reviewed issues pertaining to voter registration, guidelines, military and overseas voting, use of technology in facilitating expanded voting, robocalls and other campaign outreach tools. Mr. Fleet's introduction into the political arena was at the age of 18, when he waged a successful write-in campaign and was elected to the Gettysburg Borough Council. He spent several years as a Special Assistant to Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell. Eventually he formed his own political consulting firm leading successful campaigns across the country. Mr. Fleet also served as a Senior Advisor to City of Philadelphia Controller Jonathan Saidel. His unique mix of local, state, national political experience gives him exceptional insight into the U.S. electoral system. Please join me in commending the outstanding service of Mr. Jamie P.D. Fleet, II, to the Congress of the United States and congratulating him on his new position as Chief of Staff to Senator Cantwell of Washington. We wish you well in all your future endeavors.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. I thank the ranking member for yielding. Madam Chairman, I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member of the Agriculture Committee for their leadership and their hard work in bringing a farm bill to the floor this year. I rise in support of many of the provisions in the FARRM Act, but with grave concerns about the cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP. I strongly support the provisions in the FARRM Act that expand funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grants, that restore funding for the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and that maintain funding for pest and disease control, market access programs and organic agriculture. While the FARRM Act provides many positive provisions that support a strong agriculture safety net, the $20.5 billion in cuts to the SNAP program is unconscionable. If the FARRM Act is enacted, the CBO estimates that nearly 2 million low-income people will lose SNAP benefits and that another 1.8 million people live in households that would experience a benefit cut of $90 per month. We cannot continue to balance the budget on the backs of our poor, our children, our seniors, and our veterans. I want to support a farm bill, but I cannot support these cuts to SNAP. I do, though, thank them very much for their hard work.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. I move to strike the last word.

Mr. VARGAS. Today, I rise in support of the efforts to address the increasing backlog of veterans disability claims in the FY 2014 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill. We must do everything in our power to ensure that the men and women who have served honorably in the armed services receive the full benefits they have earned protecting our Nation and our freedoms abroad. It is a shame that our veterans have to wait an average of 321 days to receive a response from the Department of Veterans Affairs after filing a claim. In my district, I have the privilege of representing the southern portion of San Diego County and all of Imperial County in California. San Diego is the home to the third-largest veteran resident population in the Nation. Current processing times have tripled in the area since 2009, with over 28,500 pending disability claims being processed and an average wait time of 334 days. As we continue to wind down our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, more and more men and women will be seeking the benefits they are owed. We must continue to find workable solutions for these heroes and their families. This bill presented today provides more than $290 million to help the VA meet its goal of ending its disability claim backlog by 2015. In order to meet this deadline, funds will be provided for the digital scanning of health and benefit files and for the development of a paperless process claim system. Additionally, $344 million will be appropriated to the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to implement a single, integrated health record system used by both Departments. Both of these measures are needed to speed up the processing and to modernize our record-keeping system. We must also hold the VA accountable for its results, and I am glad to see that the monthly reporting requirements on the process of the expedited claims initiative for veterans is included in this bill. During the final throes of the Civil War, President Lincoln affirmed the government's obligation to care for those injured during the war and to provide for the families of those who perished on the battlefield. With the commitment ``to care for him, who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan,'' President Lincoln laid the foundation for our moral responsibility to our Nation's veterans. Let's continue to work in this tradition by reducing the backlog and the wait times of disability claims for the veterans and their families across our Nation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in favor of comprehensive immigration reform, especially one that respects the heroic work and heroic lives of our military. We've now heard from many military personnel who have said that what they fear most is that their spouses are going to be unfortunately and dastardly taken from them and deported. We heard from a young marine over at the Russell Building who is going off to Afghanistan for his third tour of duty. He said that he is not afraid of dying. He says, ``That's what marines do--we fight and we die.'' His only fear is that, when he is gone, they may deport his wife back to Mexico, and then he doesn't know what he can do to help her or their two children. So we have to change the law. The law is not fair. How can the law possibly be fair when our military men and women are under this kind of threat? I stand here today to say that we have to have comprehensive immigration reform, especially one that respects our military.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of Sean Smith, an information technology specialist killed in the September 11, 2012, terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. Sean was called ``one of our best'' at the State Department by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Originally from San Diego, California, Sean enlisted in the Air Force in 1995. In 2002, he was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal and joined the United States Foreign Service. President Barack Obama stated: Sean Smith lived to serve, first in the Air Force, then at the State Department. He knew the perils of his calling. And there in Benghazi, far from home, he laid down his life in the service to all of us. Sean was also a loving husband and a proud father. He was devoted to his wife, Heather, and to his two children, Samantha and Nathan. Mrs. Smith said of her late husband: Sean supported the mission of diplomacy and served his country with pride and optimism. I wish to offer my deepest condolences and the deepest condolences of this House to the Smith family. Please know that your family will continue to be in our prayers and our thoughts. And thank you and your late husband for your selfless service to our country. May God bless you.

Mr. VARGAS

Mr. VARGAS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak on our Nation's need for comprehensive immigration reform. I did want to, however, congratulate my friend, Marlin Stutzman, and his family. What a beautiful family. And it was a delight looking over and seeing both boys. What a terrific family. I come today, though, to thank, really, the faith community in this country that has come together around comprehensive immigration reform. It's been interesting to see how, literally, every denomination, every faith group, has come together and said that we must have comprehensive immigration reform because of the values that they have, as religious people and religious groups, but also, more importantly, the religious values that we share as Americans. So I want to thank all of the groups that have been praying for us, that have come to the Capitol to speak to us, to say, open up your hearts, open up your minds and take a look at the stranger among you. I would like to read a letter that I received yesterday that, I think, puts it into context, certainly in the Judeo-Christian context, and that was a letter that I received from Rabbi Ron Stern from the Stephen S. Wise Temple in Los Angeles, California. He wrote this: Among the fundamental stories of the Jewish people is the classic telling of the experience of slavery in Egypt. The story is not only told each year during the Passover Seder held by Jews around the world but it is also referenced repeatedly as the rationale for many Jewish ethical principles. The tradition teaches us that we must always remember that we were strangers in a strange land, that we were powerless immigrants with no choice but to rely upon the grace and mercy of others who not only had power over our subsistence, but sometimes over our lives. The truth of the Exodus story for the Jewish people is eternal because we have often been wanderers in lands that were not our own. Subsequent to the Exodus story, the first encounter with the landless powerlessness occurred nearly 2,500 years ago in the land of Babylonia. It was there that we also learned the strength that comes when a people exits the shadows and is able to take its place in the light of the Nation's destiny. A vibrant Jewish community thrived there for thousands of years as citizens of a Persian nation. Elsewhere in the world over the centuries Jews encountered wandering, rootlessness and powerlessness in Europe, Russia and Northern Africa. With each move, we endured the insecurity of foreigners never fully welcomed in a land that benefited from our labor and our skills. The all too infrequent eras of stability, security and peace were welcomed isles of harmony that allowed our people to prosper. Because of our history, because of our collective memory of wandering and existing as immigrants in lands that were not our own from birth, because we were wanderers who traveled to nations looking for better fortunes and left nations where fortune and safety eluded, the Jewish people have a mission to extend compassion and embrace to others who seek the very security that we often sought for ourselves. Now that we have found peace, comfort, stability and strength in this great country, we demand nothing less than that for others who seek these essential components of life for themselves and for their families. Eleven million immigrants have cared for our children, attended our schools, worked in our factories, fought our wars, frequented our businesses, and made our way of life possible. The time is now for those who have become a part of our American fabric through the sweat of their hands to be given the place in our society that we cherish for ourselves as well: citizens of the United States of America. Sincerely, Rabbi Ron Stern. I want to thank Rabbi Stern. I think that he, along with so many others, have really set the stage for something that I think is not only overdue but that we're going to do, and that is, we're going to look into our hearts, and we're going to see that the stranger among us is not so strange. It was interesting that the rabbi mentioned fought our wars. For those of us that have been working with immigrants, I think probably the saddest things, the saddest occurrences that we've encountered are these, when military men and women have spouses who are undocumented. A good example is a story I gave before, and I'll give it again, it was so compelling. Here in the Capitol, on the Senate side, we heard testimony from an Army soldier who had, unfortunately, been injured. He came home and his wife is taking care of him and his young family. And what he's had to do is line the car windows and all over the car with stickers that say, ``Injured Soldier,'' ``Go Army,'' and all sorts of other stickers that show that he is someone that went and fought for us overseas. And the reason he does this, he says, is because he doesn't want to get pulled over for some small traffic violation because his wife is the only one that's able to drive, and she could be deported because she's undocumented. And probably even more compelling, we had, afterwards, a member of the Marines come forward and say, tragically, that he is fearful when he is sent overseas, but not of dying, interestingly. He said that he served two tours of duty in Iraq. He said that he was scared the whole time he was there, but not of what I thought. He said, You wouldn't guess. He said, I'm going back now to Afghanistan, and I have the same fear. And you know what his fear is? His fear is not of dying. Interestingly and starkly, he said, That's what Marines do. We fight and we die. I'm not afraid of that. I'm afraid that my wife will get deported because she's undocumented. I'm afraid that my wife will get deported. That's what his fear is, that his wife may be deported. He says, What then will happen to not only my wife but my children? I'm off in Afghanistan doing what I think is right, defending our country, defending our liberty, and at the same time my wife could get deported to a nation she doesn't really even know anymore. She came as a child. She came from Mexico. How is that fair? And I can tell him, Of course, that's not fair. But I think that more and more of us are hearing these stories. And I thank him for his bravery to come forward because it does, in fact, put his family in peril because she could get deported. But I thank him and I thank the other brave members of the military that have come forward and given us their stories. I've heard from many now. Now I would like to take a moment to share with you a letter written by the Evangelical Immigration Table to us here in the United States Congress. They wrote: Dear Speaker Boehner and Leader Pelosi, Congratulations to you and your campaign teams on your election victories. Our Nation faces many great challenges and opportunities. We pray that God will lead and guide your steps and provide you with the wisdom during the years ahead. As evangelical leaders, we live every day with the reality that our immigration system doesn't reflect our commitment to the values of human dignity, family unity, and respect for the rule of law that define us as Americans. Initiatives by both parties to advance commonsense fixes to our immigration policies have stalled in the years past. With your leadership, this can change. In the next Congress, Republicans and Democrats need to come together to pass and implement a national immigration strategy that addresses our Nation's broken immigration system. We commit to supporting you. We are already working across the country to educate and mobilize our fellow evangelical Christians to support just immigration laws. Support for reform is growing in our churches, denominations, campuses, and communities. As an aside, it is. And we see it here at the Capitol. We see more and more church groups and pastors coming and speaking to us, and speaking to us in a very united way and a very compassionate way and a very values-filled way, saying that we have to do something. And I thank them again for that. They go on: We stand ready to support legislation that reflects our Christian values and builds the common good. We are driven by moral obligation rooted deeply in our faith to address the needs of immigrants in our country. Compassionate and just treatment of immigrants is a frequent topic in the Scripture. The Hebrew word for immigrant, ``ger'', occurs 92 times throughout the Bible. We respectfully request that you meet personally with leadership from the Evangelical Immigration Table in the first 92 days of the next Congress to discuss bipartisan immigration reform legislation that: One, guarantees secure national borders; Two, respects the God-given dignity of every person; Three, ensures fairness to taxpayers; Four, protects the unity of the immediate family; Five, establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and those who wish to become permanent residents; Six, respects the rule of law. These principles are endorsed by the signers of this letter and by more than 150 other prominent evangelical leaders from around the Nation. The principles reflect a growing convergence with the position of other religious, civic, business, labor, and law enforcement leaders. We urge you to reach across the aisle and to work to create a bipartisan solution that reflects our values, creates just and humane immigration laws, and moves us forward together. The letter was signed by Leith Anderson, President, National Association of Evangelicals; Stephan Bauman President and CEO, World Relief; David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World; Noel Castellanos, CEO, Christian Development Community Association; Robert Gittelson, President, Conservatives for Comprehensive Immigration Reform; Richard Land, President, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention; Samuel Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference; Gabriel Salguero, President, National Latino Evangelical Coalition; Richard Stearns, President, World Vision United States; and Jim Wallis, President and CEO of Sojourners. So why have all of these evangelical leaders and why have so many other faith groups come together and said with a unified voice that we have to have comprehensive immigration reform? Well, as they say, the reason is because of their values. Because they believe in the Bible and they believe that the stranger among us must be treated as ourselves. In fact, interestingly, some of them quote Leviticus. In Leviticus, of course, it says that you shall love the alien, the stranger, as you love yourselves, because you have to remember that you once were strangers, too, in the land of Egypt. And so I thank all of these religious leaders, all of these faith communities that have come together. Interestingly, I can't recall another time when you've had so many different religious faith groups, pastors, reverends, and rabbis come together with one voice and say, This is the path forward; we all agree. But we have it here. The nice thing about it is that I think we are getting to a point where we are going to agree that we have to have a comprehensive immigration package that reflects the values that they have spoken to, the values that we hold dear as Americans, and I think that we are going to get there. And I thank each and every one of them that prays for us because I am a person of faith. I do believe that prayers work. I can feel their fervent prayers here. We can all hear them here. It's a wonderful thing. I do want to read a few more letters and a few more quotes from these same evangelical leaders because I think it's important to get a feel for how unanimous they are that we have to have comprehensive immigration reform that really reflects our best values, our better angels. So here's a press release from the evangelical leaders to amplify the call for bipartisan immigration reform with radio ads in key States. Dr. Richard Land, president, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention: Evangelical Christians who listen to Christian radio tend to be well educated in the Scriptures and politically engaged. Reaching them with this message about God's heart for immigrants and the importance of immigration solutions rooted in Biblical values will be absolutely critical for building the political will we need to pass meaningful reforms in 2013. Our political leaders need to hear from our constituents and from their constituents and know that evangelical Christians are strongly behind them if they have the moral courage to act on the values we see in Matthew 25 and other places in the Scripture concerning welcoming the stranger. I thank Dr. Richard Land. When he says that he hopes that we hear from our constituents, we are hearing from them. In fact, we're also hearing from Dr. Richard Land and other leaders in the evangelical churches that have come here to say, if you have any distrust in your heart for the immigrant, the stranger, or even hate, put it aside. Instead, follow your heart and understand that the immigrant, the stranger among you, deserves your love, your attention, your values. I think it's happening here. Again, I don't think it's by accident, I think it's by their prayers. I think it's by them coming together with a united voice and saying we have to do what is right. And I thank them. I'd like to read now from Reverend Dr. Uth, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Orlando. The reason I want to read the pastor's notes is because the pastor not only talks about reform, he comes from a particular area, Orlando. This is his quote: There's a consistent message throughout Scripture, and it's a command to welcome and to treat fairly all people, but especially the stranger and the foreigner in your land. When we fail to welcome the stranger, in essence we fail to welcome Christ. And so Christians in our church, when they learn about God's heart for the immigrant and what the Bible has to say, their hearts are open because we are a people of faith, and it is our desire to live out that faith in our world. Coupled with that, when they meet these immigrants, when they have personal encounters, all of a sudden this issue has a face, it has a story. And it's in that meeting that transformation happens and has happened here for us. We know that the time is now for this discussion. I thank the pastor. I thank him because he's right. But I also thank him because I think his prayers, his supplications are being answered. I think the prayers of his congregation are being answered. We are coming together, and we are coming together in a bipartisan way. There are many other things that we disagree on. I've been here not very long, but I can already tell you there are a lot of things that we disagree on. But more and more, we're coming together around the issue of comprehensive immigration reform, and we're coming together because it's the right thing to do. In fact, the voices now--and they're few and they're shrill--seem to be a real outlier now. They seem to be far out, nowhere in the mainstream. Instead, we're down to the nitty-gritty and we're trying to figure out the small things. I think that that's very good; I think that that's healthy. I appreciate, again, the candor that we've had on this discussion. It is a pleasure to have the discussion on immigration be so humane and values-based. But also, some of the interests around the country are coming together too. I sit on the Agriculture Committee, and we were having a committee hearing on horticulture and specialty crops. Almost immediately, the discussion went to comprehensive immigration reform because it's one of the most important things for the agricultural community. Interestingly, they said that the bill in the Senate is not perfect, the bill that we're going to produce here is not perfect, but it's getting close. They're saying that there's a lot of agreement between those that work in the field and represent them and those that are the farmers. When do you see that? It seldom happens. Again, I think it's happening because of the prayers of the pastors. I do want to read a few more of them because they've sent so many of them now to my office, and also because I appreciate what they're doing. They're making a difference here. I also want to show that it's not only in Orlando, in one part of the country; it's all over the country that pastors and religious groups are coming together to pray for us, to encourage us to move forward on comprehensive immigration reform. So I would like to read from Reverend Dr. Fleming, senior pastor, Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston, Texas: We're beginning now to see immigrants as us. We live together, we work together, we serve together, we're all in this together, and the notion of welcoming the outsider and the stranger and inviting them in has been key to that. We see the immigrant as a person created in the image of God. They're husbands and wives, they're parents, they're children. Oftentimes our broken immigration system causes great suffering in the homes and in the families and in the people's lives. I believe, and my experience has been here in Texas that conservative Christians and evangelicals are rising to support a Biblical approach to this very complex issue. I thank him. I thank Dr. Reverend David Fleming, senior pastor, Champion Forest Baptist Church of Houston, for his courage, for his prayers, for his encouragement, for his heart, and for his insight. I think it's very insightful. I want to quote him: We're beginning now to see immigrants as us. We live together, we work together, we serve together, we're all in this together, and the notion of welcoming the outsider and the stranger and inviting them in has been key to that. In fact, they have been invited in. I've had the great honor now to speak to many pastors, and evangelization has happened with many of the undocumented people that have come to our Nation. Now, in fact, as the marine that I spoke of earlier, as well as the soldier, oftentimes they meet their spouses in church and they get married. Then we put them in a situation that if they legally want to live together their spouse has to leave the country for 10 years. Can you imagine that? The marine, who is again going to be deployed overseas, for his wife to be here legally she would have to leave the country for 10 years, what would she do with the children? Does she take them with her? They're American citizens. Does she go to this country that she really doesn't know anymore? How can that be right? How can that be fair? How can that be just? How can that be Christian? How can those be our values? They're not our values. That's why I thank Pastor Dr. David Fleming for stepping forward and saying it's time that we change. Now, I happen to be a Catholic, so I'd like to quote now Archbishop Jose Gomez, the archbishop of Los Angeles and chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration. He says this: Our collective faith groups are prepared to support just and humane reform of a broken immigration system. With the President's leadership and cooperation between both parties in Congress, we can achieve this goal within the year. We agree with the President and the bipartisan Senate leaders who are stressing the importance of a path to citizenship for the undocumented. We should not sanction a permanent underclass in our society. Never to correct an archbishop; however, I would add that also the good work that's being done bipartisanly here, too, in this House, in the Congress, and you will soon see a bill. I thank and I pray every day for the members of that group that are working hard--often under great stress--to come forward with a bill, a change in the law, that represents our better angels. It represents our values as Americans, as Christians, as Jews, as people of faith. So I thank them. I'd also like to quote Reverend Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference: Today's meeting invigorated me with hope and optimism. The President's resolve in conjunction with evangelical support facilitate the prescription for a comprehensive resolution addressing America's immigration crisis. I am convinced that with prayer and prophetic activism, we will live out Matthew 25 and welcome the stranger in the name of Jesus. Of course he quotes famously Matthew 25. Matthew 25, of course, is the judgment where Jesus himself says how we will be judged as a nation. I hope you go back and read that part of Scripture. Jesus says: ``When I was hungry, you gave me to eat. When I was thirsty, you gave me to drink. When I was naked, you clothed me. When I was ill, you cured me. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me. When I was a prisoner, you visited me.'' Then of course the sheep will ask: ``When do we do that, Jesus?'' ``When you did it to the least of my brothers.'' That's what Reverend Samuel Rodriguez was quoting and most Christian groups quote. It's so profoundly who we are: the welcoming of the stranger, Christ among us. Madam Speaker, I know I don't have much time left. I appreciate deeply the time that I was given today to speak to my colleagues and to speak to hopefully a larger crowd that I have great faith, I have great faith that we are coming together and we're coming together in a way that we will produce a bill that we can all be proud of and hopefully that we will all support but that will have bipartisan support. And it won't be an accident. It will be because of the prayers of these pastors. It will be because of the courage of Rabbi Stern. It will be because of all the encouragement that we've received from the faith communities outside of this House. It is because of their fervent love and support for the immigrant, the stranger, that we will have a just law, and I thank them. Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity today. I yield back the balance of my time.