WHO IS AMERICAN ?
The presidential oath of office, as stated in Article II, Section I, Clause 8 of the U.S. Constitution, is as follows:
"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
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RESOLUTION Condemning President Trump’s racist comments directed at Members of Congress.
Whereas
the Founders conceived America as a haven of refuge for people fleeing
from religious and political persecution, and Thomas Jefferson,
Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison all emphasized that the Nation
gained as it attracted new people in search of freedom and livelihood
for their families;
Whereas the Declaration
of Independence defined America as a covenant based on equality, the
unalienable Rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and
government by the consent of the people;
Whereas
Benjamin Franklin said at the Constitutional convention, ‘‘When
foreigners after looking about for some other Country in which they can
obtain more happiness, give a preference to ours, it is a proof of
attachment which ought to excite our confidence and affection’’;
Whereas
President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, ‘‘Remember, remember always, that
all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and
revolutionists’’;
Whereas immigration of
people from all over the Earth has defined every stage of American
history and propelled our social, economic, political, scientific,
cultural, artistic and technological progress as a people, and all
Americans, except for the descendants of Native people and enslaved
African-Americans, are immigrants or descendants of immigrants;
Whereas
the commitment to immigration and asylum has been not a partisan cause
but a powerful national value that has infused the work of many
Presidents;
Whereas American patriotism is
defined not by race or ethnicity but by devotion to the Constitutional
ideals of equality, liberty, inclusion, and democracy and by service to
our communities and struggle for the common good;
Whereas
President John F. Kennedy, whose family came to the United States from
Ireland, stated in his 1958 book ‘‘A Nation of Immigrants’’ that ‘‘The
contribution of immigrants can be seen in every aspect of our national
life. We see it in religion, in politics, in business, in the arts, in
education, even in athletics and entertainment. There is no part of our
nation that has not been touched by our immigrant background. Everywhere
immigrants have enriched and strengthened the fabric of American
life.’’;
Whereas President Ronald Reagan in his last speech as President conveyed ‘‘An observation about a country which I love’’;
Whereas
as President Reagan observed, the torch of Lady Liberty symbolizes our
freedom and represents our heritage, the compact with our parents, our
grandparents, and our ancestors, and it is the Statue of Liberty and its
values that give us our great and special place in the world;
Whereas
other countries may seek to compete with us, but in one vital area, as
‘‘a beacon of freedom and opportunity that draws the people of the
world, no country on Earth comes close’’;
Whereas
it is the great life force of ‘‘each generation of new Americans that
guarantees that America’s triumph shall continue unsurpassed’’ through
the 21st century and beyond and is part of the ‘‘magical, intoxicating
power of America’’;
Whereas this is ‘‘one
of the most important sources of America’s greatness: we lead the world
because, unique among nations, we draw our people -- our strength --
from every country and every corner of the world, and by doing so we
continuously renew and enrich our nation’’;
Whereas
‘‘thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity,
we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new
ideas, and always on the cutting edge’’, always leading the world to the
next frontier;
Whereas this openness is
vital to our future as a Nation, and ‘‘if we ever closed the door to new
Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost’’; and
Whereas
President Donald Trump’s racist comments have legitimized fear and
hatred of new Americans and people of color: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1)
believes that immigrants and their descendants have made America
stronger, and that those who take the oath of citizenship are every bit
as American as those whose families have lived in the United States for
many generations;
(2) is committed to
keeping America open to those lawfully seeking refuge and asylum from
violence and oppression, and those who are willing to work hard to live
the American Dream, no matter their race, ethnicity, faith, or country
of origin; and
(3) strongly condemns
President Donald Trump’s racist comments that have legitimized and
increased fear and hatred of new Americans and people of color by saying
that our fellow Americans who are immigrants, and those who may look to
the President like immigrants, should ‘‘go back’’ to other countries,
by referring to immigrants and asylum seekers as ‘‘invaders,’’ and by
saying that Members of Congress who are immigrants (or those of our
colleagues who are wrongly assumed to be immigrants) do not belong in
Congress or in the United States of America