WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) delivered the following remarks last night during the markup of the Appropriations Fiscal Year 2024 Homeland Security and Legislative Branch Bills. During his remarks, Rep. Hoyer urged bipartisan support for an amendment to allow Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients to be employed on Capitol Hill. Below is the transcript of his remarks and a link to the video:
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“Madam Chair, obviously, if we could do everything at one time when all of us say that the system is broken, we would have done it, but I used a comment in the bill that we did that made sure we didn't violate the debt limit and put the economy into a spin about a little statement that was used about a donut shop in Nantucket. Essentially, what it said, ‘Brother, as you go through life, keep your eye upon the donut and not upon the hole.’ “The donut here is we have 800,000 to maybe a million and a half young people, for the most part, who came here because their parents wanted opportunity. My father came from Denmark at the age of 32 in 1934 because he was seeking opportunity. “Dick Durbin and I, and Mr. McCarthy and John Cornyn were at the White House. I was sitting next to the President of the United States, Donald Trump. We talked about these DACA students – or doctors or lawyers, whoever those DACA people, men and women were, and Donald Trump turned to me and he said, ‘Send me a bill, and I'll sign it.’ “In part, I think he did that because 85% of the American people support doing just that, giving them a path to citizenship. I'm sure many of you have met with DACA, those who are described as in the DACA position. I've met with hundreds. They're all extraordinary young people. America has succeeded because it accepted millions of people like those DACA students, like your parents. Mr. Amodei, you and I are friends… “This is a small step supported by 85% of America – we ought to take it. We ought to take it proudly, as the Chair said, if we can take small steps that will lead to progress and awareness of one another, then we will have had a good day. “It's easy to say no. I know perhaps that 15% who don't think we ought to do DACA maybe are the people that you're hearing from, but I would hope in this instance that we would make a judgment that is based upon our humanity, based upon principles of our country as a place of opportunity and show that indeed it is a place of opportunity for kids who came here. Some at one or two or three years of age, went to elementary school here, went to high school here, went to college here. Pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States, one nation, under God, indivisible. “It's a step we can take. It doesn't do everything. It doesn't solve all the problems. It won't allay nativism or xenophobia or racism – it won't do any of that. But it will take a small step. And I think all of us can say we took a small step today. We took a small step together – not divided, not 34, 27, 34, 27, but say, in this instance, we agree with the 85% of the American public who says, ‘Yes, these kids ought to be treated by what they are– Americans.’ They know no other country. They know no other land. This is their country – one nation, under God. Mr. Aguilar has a good, simple, straightforward, very consequential [amendment] for about a million and a half, maybe a few more, but it will have a big statement about the fact that this Congress could come together in this instance, on this evening, for a principle that America believes in – a place of opportunity – and yes, a place of refuge. I urge a yes vote on this amendment.”
