Pelosi Remarks at Press Conference in Support of the American Hope Act

July 28, 2017

Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi joined the Congressman Luis Gutiérrez, Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, and other Members for a press conference in support of the American Hope Act, legislation that would provide a permanent solution to the immigration status of more than 800,000 young people enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals [DACA] program and put thousands of others on a path to earn permanent legal residency and eventual citizenship if they meet certain requirements. Below are the Leader's remarks:

Leader Pelosi. Thank you very much Congressman [Joaquin] Castro for your leadership. It's my honor to be here with so many members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus as well as others Members who support giving hope to our DREAMers. Thank you for acknowledging that we did in the House pass the DREAM Act, and it was done so under the leadership of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus; Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez was the Chair at the time. But the persuasive argument that was made to our colleagues was made by people telling their own families' stories and Congressman [Ruben] Kihuen, your story is really one that is very compelling.

The leadership of [Congressman] Luis Gutiérrez is heroic. All over the country thousands of people turn out to hear his message of hope, thank you for calling your bill, the bill about hope and I join you in commending Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, we've all seen firsthand their tremendous leadership. To you, to them, to the Chair of the Caucus, Congresswoman Lujan Grisham, we all salute you and thank you.

Our nation's DREAMers are an inspiration to us all – I wish you could all hear them. They enrich and strengthen our country; their patriotism and bravery make America more American. Their Congress should recognize, embrace and celebrate these hardworking young men and women. Five years ago, President Obama gave hope to our DREAMers with DACA [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals]. President Trump has instilled fear by threatening the protections of DACA. That is why we are so pleased to have this legislation.

I believe that if it were brought to the floor, we would have bipartisan support, that Republicans would support it, any initiative to protect our DREAMers. The American Hope Act, the legislation we are saluting now, led by Congressman Gutiérrez, protects all of our nation's young DREAMers from being targeted, rounded up and arbitrarily deported. It protects families and immigrant communities who are currently living with fear and with heartbreak.

Instead of building an immoral, ineffective and expensive wall, a multi-billion dollar border wall, Congress must keep our doors open to these young patriotic young men and women who are American in every way. House Democrats will never forget that in diversity lies our strength, that our immigrants are the constant reinvigoration of America. We will never stop fighting to protect our nation's families from the Trump administration's mass deportation agenda and we will fight every day to pass this bill. And now I'm pleased to yield the floor to the distinguished House Democratic Whip, Mr. Hoyer, who again, in appreciation to all of our members who are here, some are working on the floor, all of us behind Mr. Gutiérrez's message of hope.