Providing for Consideration of H.R. Securing America's Future Act of 2018

Floor Speech

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Mr. WELCH. Mr. Speaker, is this institution broken or has our leadership fled the field?

This rule will deprive the House of having a debate on the Dreamers. Eighty-two percent of the American people think these innocent kids who came here should be given legal status.

The leadership has refused to allow us to debate. With the help of Mr. Denham, in a courageous display of independence, he has a discharge petition, the last remaining tool for a majority of this House to say to leadership: Give us a vote. Let us debate.

But in an act of extraordinary irresponsibility--and I would say cowardice--the leadership is quelling, crushing, and incinerating the last vestige of independence in their own party.

This rule takes away from the House that tool to rise up and say: We are ready to work for the American people and give legal status to the Dreamers.

That is a disgrace. That is a reason why, if we care about ourselves as an institution responsible to the people who elected us, we will assert our insistence that we vote. Vote ``no'' on this.

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