DREAM Act Portal Forum - Hispanic reps targeting immigration reform

DREAM Act Portal Forum (http://dreamact.info/forum/index.php)

- The News Room (http://dreamact.info/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=23)

- - Hispanic reps targeting immigration reform (http://dreamact.info/forum/showthread.php?t=12858)

Hispanic reps targeting immigration reform

Well it looks like it is mainly the Hispanic Caucus in the House that is leading the charge on immigration reform,at least they are putting forth a good faith effort to this mess as oppose to some of the rest of the House Democrats.

Quote:

WASHINGTON — Hispanic lawmakers in the House are writing an immigration reform bill that will outline the minority community's position before the debate begins in Congress.

The House and Senate are not expected to take up comprehensive immigration reform until next year, but those involved in writing the bill say the legislation being prepared by Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., will lay down a marker on what is expected.

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are behind the effort to lay a legislative blueprint.

Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, D-San Antonio, said the bill is “a marker so everyone understands we are unwavering on what we refer to as comprehensive legislation.”

Gonzalez, the first vice chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said the bill would include a pathway for citizenship for the estimated 12 million unauthorized immigrants in this country.

Similar measures in the past have been opposed by Republicans in the House and Senate, who consider it an amnesty for lawbreakers.

“This bill is not going anywhere this year, and I would be surprised if it goes anywhere next year, in an election year,” said Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio.

“The American people are opposed to amnesty, and this is an amnesty bill,” said Smith, the ranking Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, which has oversight of immigration laws.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus staunchly supports citizenship measures, as well as a reduction in the backlog of application for family visas.

The bill is expected to include a robust employment verification system to eliminate exploitation of unauthorized workers.

Gutierrez, who heads the caucus' task force on immigration, told supporters last month that the legislation could be ready to be introduced in the House by the end of October.

“We simply cannot wait any longer for a bill that keeps our families together, protects our workers and allows a pathway to legalization for those who have earned it,” Gutierrez said.

Advocacy groups that favor immigration reform and citizenship for unauthorized immigrants are pressing Democratic lawmakers to move on the legislation.

Gutierrez and caucus members are holding a prayer vigil on the West Lawn of the Capitol on Tuesday, when a broad outline of the draft legislation will be unveiled.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has said the House will wait for the Senate to first act.

A comprehensive immigration reform bill in 2007 died in the Senate when Republicans objected to measures in the bill that included citizenship status for unauthorized immigrants.

Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., chairman of the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on immigration, is expected to file an immigration bill late this year or early next session.

Until then, President Barack Obama has appointed Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano as the point person for a House-Senate task force to identify areas of mutual understanding to move forward on immigration reform.

The working group includes administration officials, as well as Republican and Democratic lawmakers.

Immigration reform advocacy groups are disheartened by the administration's pace on achieving reform and have pressed allies in Congress to move ahead of the White House.

“The president has consistently said we would begin work on comprehensive immigration reform this year, and that's what we are doing,” a White House spokeswoman said.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a sponsor of the 2007 bipartisan bill that died in the Senate, warned that one stumbling block to immigration reform could be organized labor's opposition to temporary, or guest worker programs — a measure sought by business groups.

And Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who helped defeat the Senate bill, said citizenship proposals would have to follow strengthened border security.

Cornyn said Congress had to regain the confidence of the American people and show “that we are serious about border security and work site enforcement, and about enforcing reasonable immigration laws.”

Although debate over immigration reform will begin in earnest next year, Democratic lawmakers are being pressed by advocacy groups to set the tone and the pace.

The National Association of Evangelicals, representing 40 denominations and groups, called for urgent reform of immigration laws.

“Efforts to maintain secure and efficient borders have been ineffective and, too often, inhumane,” said Leith Anderson, NAE president.

The miles of fence being installed along the U.S.-Mexico border “doesn't make any sense,” said Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi.

“What we have to do is put better technology and border patrol on the ground,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz and Gonzalez both concede that tackling immigration reform in an election year will be difficult.