H.R. 5323, Proud to be an American Citizen Act
Statement for Committee on the Judiciary
June 28, 2006
Rep. Maxine Waters [D-CA]: Mr. Chairman, Mr. Ranking Member, I appreciate the fact that you have held this markup, and I appreciate the work that my colleague from the great state of California [Mr. Farr] and the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Hobson] have done to craft this legislation. In the midst of the very contentious debates of everything from the language in which the “Star Spangled Banner” is sung to the question of what constitutes comprehensive immigration reform, it is important that we underscore the underpinnings of what we consider to be the essence of American citizenship.
This legislation helps the federal government to further emphasize those underpinnings.
A benefit that can be identified as a product of naturalization ceremonies is increased sales tax revenue for states and increased opportunity for private nonprofit entities – that are selected to conduct these ceremonies. I hope that this legislation contemplates a bidding and selection process that ensures a fair distribution of opportunities for entities that fall under the category of small and disadvantaged.
I thank the gentlemen for proposing this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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Contact: Edward Jackson
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