Administration Failures

Floor Speech

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Mr. YOHO. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding.

I'd like to address the floor on why we need immigration reform.

Washington has failed to lead on this issue for the last 30 years, and it has weakened American security and stressed our economy.

America deserves better. It's our duty and it's our responsibility to address this issue for the health, for the strength, and for the security of our Nation.

As the immigration debates come forward, our goals should not focus on what is best for this group or what is best for that group, or cater to this industry or cater to that industry. If we do that, we lose sight and we miss the mark on what really the focus should be on, and that is, what's best for America. If we focus on what is best for America and do what is best for America, then America wins. And if America wins, we all win, regardless of where you come from.

The real issue is to preserve the opportunity that if we nurture it and put forth that effort, it will grow into the American Dream. Isn't the American Dream what this is all about? The American Dream defines who we are as Americans. It is the very essence of what it means to be an American. It says that no matter where you come from or what your background is, if you're willing to work within the confines of the law and do that four-letter word called ``work,'' you can achieve the American Dream.

The very issue that we're struggling with is the preservation of the American Dream and the opportunity in this country. If we lose that, we lose what America stands for. And that's what sets America apart from all other countries, it's the ability to achieve the American Dream.

As we move forward, let's keep in mind that if we do what's right for America, we will remain that shining city on the hill that Ronald Reagan talked so eloquently about, that beacon of hope of what free men and women can accomplish in a society that protects our God-given rights with a Constitution that protects that. If we do that, we can guarantee that America will stay strong.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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