,,iv #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #hbj ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,january #cj1 #bjbj,mr4 ,castro of ,texas 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,espaillat1 ,ms4 ,garcia of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,case1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,ms4 ,velzquez1 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,ms4 ,lofgren1 ,mr4 ,nadler1 ,ms4 ,snchez1 ,ms4 ,mucarsel-,powell1 ,mrs4 ,napolitano1 ,mrs4 ,watson ,coleman1 ,mr4 ,gallego1 ,mr4 ,correa1 ,mr4 ,garca of ,illinois1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,gonzalez of ,texas1 ,mr4 ,soto1 ,mr4 ,khanna1 ,ms4 ,escobar1 ,mr4 ,raskin1 ,mr4 ,takano1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 ,mr4 ,carson of ,indiana1 ,mr4 ,crdenas1 ,ms4 ,barragn1 ,mr4 ,cisneros1 ,mr4 ,vela1 ,mr4 ,blumenauer1 and ,ms4 ,castor of ,florida7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,,resolution ,expressing support for designation of ,february #bjbj as ,national ,citizenship ,month4 ,whereas the ,united ,states has been recognized for centuries as the land of opportunity for those seeking economic and educational opportunities as well as freedom from persecution2 ,whereas immigrants account for #ac4f percent of the population of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas one in eight people in the ,united ,states is an immigrant and one in six workers in the ,united ,states is an immigrant2 ,whereas when immigrants arrive in the ,united ,states1 the vast majority embrace the principles that strengthen our ,nation3 valuing work ethic1 pursuing education1 and striving for economic opportunity2 ,whereas thanks to their reflection of these principles1 immigrants have allowed the ,united ,states to thrive economically1 socially1 and culturally1 which reinforces and further defines our ,nation as the land of opportunity2 ,whereas the ,united ,states must continue to welcome immigrants from across the globe in order to remain standing as a beacon for innovation and advancement2 ,whereas the ,united ,states1 by embracing these principles1 continues to attract the most talented1 diverse1 and hardest working immigrants2 ,whereas the non-citizen population in the ,united ,states has been estimated to be #bb4e million in #bjag1 of which #ac4b million were lawful permanent residents2 ,whereas of those #ac4b million lawful permanent residents1 #i million are eligible to become naturalized citizens of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas the ,united ,states continues to support our immigrant community1 particularly those that seek a pathway to citizenship2 ,whereas naturalization is the formal process by which ,united ,states citizenship is granted to immigrants after they have fulfilled requirements under the ,immigration and ,nationality ,act2 ,whereas ,u4,s4 ,citizen and ,immigration ,services 7,,uscis7 welcomes approximately #fbj1jjj to #ghj1jjj citizens each year during naturalization ceremonies2 ,whereas nearly #gj percent of lawful permanent residents became eligible to naturalize more than #ae years ago2 ,whereas the high cost of citizenship and lack of information prevent many lawful permanent residents from naturalizing2 ,whereas naturalization application processing should be fair1 efficient1 affordable1 and accessible to all eligible individuals1 not just the wealthy2 ,whereas the proposed hikes in naturalization fees would raise the cost of applying for citizenship by more than #hj percent1 from #fdj to #a1agj1 while also eliminating the fee waiver and reduced fee for low-income applicants1 making naturalization unaffordable for #d million eligible naturalization applicants2 ,whereas current ,,uscis naturalization backlogs are averaging #aj to #af months1 with some applicants waiting over #b years before obtaining citizenship2 ,whereas lengthy naturalization backlogs with processing times of more than six months deprive our country of the expeditious integration of new ,americans2 ,whereas in addition to adding to the richness and diversity of our ,nation's culture1 our immigrant community plays a critical role in growing our economy1 for example1 in #bjac1 immigrants added #a4f trillion to the ,united ,states gross domestic product 7,,gdp7 and helped increase the standard of living for ,americans2 ,whereas citizenship alone can boost individual earnings by #h to #aa percent1 leading to a potential #ba to #de billion increase in cumulative earnings over #aj years2 and ,whereas in addition to the economic1 educational1 and cultural benefits of citizenship1 newly naturalized citizens gain the right and privilege to vote in ,united ,states elections1 run for public office1 bring family members to the ,united ,states1 and other benefits3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 supports the designation of ,national ,citizenship ,month2 7#b7 supports the goals and efforts of ,national ,citizenship ,month1 which include raising awareness about the requirements for naturalization and financial assistance options1 hosting citizenship workshops1 modernizing and streamlining the naturalization process1 and attending citizenship ceremonies2 7#c7 honors the contributions our immigrant community makes to our ,nation2 7#d7 recognizes that the successful naturalization of the #i million eligible lawful permanent residents will provide significant social and economic benefits to our ,nation2 and 7#e7 recognizes that when we fully incorporate and integrate our immigrant community in our ,nation1 then our democracy and ,nation are further strengthened4