Comprehensive Immigration Reform
The United States is a nation of immigrants, and we recognize the contributions made by Americans who came to this country from all over the world to make a new home and pursue the American Dream. That’s why House Democrats continue to work for common sense, comprehensive, and balanced immigration reform: reform that secures our borders, respects the rule of law, and provides immigrants with a fair chance of achieving the American Dream. We believe that if you work hard and play by the rules, you should have a chance at building a future here in America. Comprehensive immigration reform would be good for the American economy and help our fiscal outlook. House Democrats have worked to establish a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and T.P.S. and D.E.D. status holders by twice-passing the bipartisan American Dream and Promise Act, which Republicans continue to obstruct in the Senate. House Democrats also passed the Farm Workforce Modernization Act to reform the H-2A guestworker program to allow those contributing to our agricultural economy to remain in America. President Biden has taken action to restore the DACA program, end wasteful spending on an ineffective border wall, and reaffirm America’s values. Democrats will continue to partner with the Biden Administration to help Dreamers, fix American’s broken immigration system and ensure that it strengthens America and grows our economy.
House Republican leaders are trying to have their cake and eat it too. They claim to want comprehensive immigration reform, and yet they have not allowed a single vote to fix our broken system. A look at today’s news makes it clear that Majority Leader Cantor can’t have it both ways when it comes to immigration reform:
Two days after President Obama won re-election in 2012, Speaker Boehner announced that comprehensive immigration reform would be a top bipartisan priority. Fast forward nearly two years later, and House Republicans still have not allowed a single vote to fix our broken immigration system.
MESSAGE FROM THE DEMOCRATIC WHIP
This week, the House passed the USA Freedom Act, which takes significant steps to address concerns over the intelligence community’s information-gathering programs while helping to strike an appropriate balance between national security and individual privacy.
Earlier this week, I had an opportunity to meet with the DREAMers, a number of DREAMers who want to join the Armed Forces of the United States. There is a bill called the ENLIST Act, introduced by one of our Republican Members, that, essentially, says we're going to allow DREAMers to enlist and, through their service, they could establish their path to citizenship.
In another attempt to ignore the mounting pressure to fix our nation’s broken immigration system, House Republican leaders are set to block an immigration amendment from one of their own members – the ENLIST Act – from being considered as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this week. From Roll Call:
Before you head home on this sunny Monday afternoon, we wanted to make sure you saw that the business community is pushing House Republicans to take action on immigration reform. Politico recaps:
We know you’re all focused on the contempt resolution and Benghazi, but don’t forget that the House will be debating a permanent extension of the research & development tax credit later this afternoon. To recap some numbers for you, before you write your stories:
As Speaker Boehner continues to struggle with division in the Republican Conference over taking action on immigration reform, there is increasing support among Republicans on the need for reform.
I join in celebrating Cinco de Mayo, the anniversary of the historic Battle of Puebla and an occasion of great pride for millions of Mexicans and Mexican-Americans.
Considering his refusal to bring a comprehensive immigration reform bill to the Floor, we find it pretty ironic that Speaker Boehner was mocking his conference yesterday at an event in his district over their resistance to taking action. From the Cincinnati Enquirer: