; Whereas nearly 70 percent of lawful permanent residents became eligible to naturalize more than 15 years ago; Whereas the high cost of citizenship and lack of information prevent many lawful permanent residents from naturalizing; Whereas naturalization application processing should be fair, efficient, affordable, and accessible to all eligible individuals, not just the wealthy; Whereas the proposed hikes in naturalization fees would raise the cost of applying for citizenship by more than 80 percent, from $640 to $1,170, while also eliminating the fee waiver and reduced fee for low-income applicants, making naturalization unaffordable for 4 million eligible naturalization applicants; Whereas current USCIS naturalization backlogs are averaging 10 to 16 months, with some applicants waiting over 2 years before obtaining citizenship; Whereas lengthy naturalization backlogs with processing times of more than six months deprive our country of the expeditious integration of new Americans; Whereas in addition to adding to the richness and diversity of our Nation’s culture, our immigrant community plays a critical role in growing our economy, for example, in 2013, immigrants added $1.6 trillion to the United States gross domestic product (GDP) and helped increase the standard of living for Americans; Whereas citizenship alone can boost individual earnings by 8 to 11 percent, leading to a potential $21 to 45 billion increase in cumulative earnings over 10 years; and Whereas in addition to the economic, educational, and cultural benefits of citizenship, newly naturalized citizens gain the right and privilege to vote in United States elections, run for public office, bring family members to the United States, and other benefits: Now, therefore, be it