[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 65 (Wednesday, April 19, 2023)] [House] [Pages H1876-H1879] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Date: 2023-04-19
Chamber: HOUSE
Mr. FROST: I am here today because I am ecstatic that we have a President who has chosen to lead with love and compassion when it comes to other humans in this country. I thank President Biden for having the heart and courage to do what his predecessor never did: show respect and dignity to Dreamers and DACA recipients, who came to the United States through no choice of their own and are full-fledged Americans in every single way but one-- on paper. The Biden administration's move to expand healthcare coverage to DACA recipients is bold and historic and follows Democrats' commitment to helping immigrant communities that have spent their lives living in the shadows of this country. There are over half a million Dreamers in the United States who were extended a literal lifeline through the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, and over 20,000 DACA recipients who call my home State of Florida their home. Though DACA has been a wonderful beacon of hope for so many, through his action, President Biden has acknowledged that more can be done to help this vulnerable community. For years now, DACA recipients have been living with a weight on their shoulders. Constantly worried about losing their job means the end of being able to afford care, forcing them to stay in working environments that perhaps mistreat them, backed into a corner where they have to decide between getting to see a doctor or having to push through the pain and the illness. Let me be clear. No one should have to make that decision between access to medical care or putting food on the table or having a roof over their head. Healthcare in this country is and should be a human right for all people by virtue of being alive. That is a scenario that is all too familiar for DACA recipients. I have read stories of young people from my hometown in central Florida who have gotten healthcare for the first time in their lives only then to lose that care because of a layoff or job cuts. I am hard-pressed to find a working person or working family that can afford to pay $500 or more a month for health insurance. I have always said that if you love somebody, you want them to have healthcare and a good-paying job that treats them fairly. If you love somebody, you want them to succeed and thrive. If you love somebody, you want them to be healthy and to be able to see a doctor or medical professional if, God forbid, they become sick. Dreamers are people. DACA recipients are people. Immigrants are people. They deserve to be able to get their care through Medicaid and the ACA just like anybody else in this country. We still have so much work left to do to ensure that we actually create a humane, compassionate immigration system that offers a real pathway to citizenship for the hundreds of thousands of Dreamers and DACA recipients who call Florida and this country home, but this action is a beacon of hope. To the Dreamers across the country who are listening right now: Hear me when we say we won't stop fighting, not just for you but with you. Home is here. Healthcare is a human right. I thank all the organizers, young people, advocacy groups, and allies across the country who have spent years fighting for this very moment. Let's get to work and continue to provide for all people.