DREAM Act Portal Forum - Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock COULD BE THE NEXT

HANFORD — Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, has already snubbed House GOP leadership and thrown his support behind a comprehensive immigration reform bill. Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, could be next.

Both congressman are from majority Hispanic swing districts, and both are growing increasingly frustrated with the failure of House GOP leaders to deal with the issue of immigration reform.

That growing rift was evident today in a press teleconference hosted by the National Immigration Forum, with Valadao saying he’s considering joining with Denham.

Denham made waves last week when he thumbed his nose at GOP leaders and announced himself as a co-sponsor of a bipartisan immigration package called HR 15. The measure cleared the Senate last year, but has gotten little support in the GOP-dominated House.

“If my signing on to it helps move the [process] forward, I’m happy to do that,” Valadao said, adding that he’s still working with House Republicans to see if an alternative package is possible.

Valadao’s announcement comes amid mounting pressure from immigration reform advocates that Congress do something. Today, 600 business, faith and law enforcement leaders staged a “fly-in” to Washington to push legislators to act. The blitz, sponsored in part by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the nonpartisan group Bibles, Badges and Business for Immigration Reform, targeted 80 House members in 40 states.

Many advocates feel like it’s now or never. The general feeling is that it will be impossible to get anything done next year with politically charged elections on the horizon.

The Valadao conference call today underscored a growing coalition of business leaders who are convinced that any immigration package should include enhanced border security, improved visa and guest worker programs and a path to legal status for the estimated 2.6 million undocumented residents in California, many of them in the Central Valley.

Joining Valadao at the press conference were Fresno Chamber of Commerce CEO Al Smith, Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce CEO Cynthia Pollard, California Chamber of Commerce President Marti Fisher and Manuel Cunha, president of the Fresno-based Nisei Farmers League.

Business leaders said that the ripple effects of a large undocumented immigrant population that can’t legally get jobs contributes to unemployment, leads to unreported crimes and harms business productivity.

“What sometimes we fail to realize is the ripple effect that unemployment has,” said Smith. “Immigration reform is a vital game-changing situation for the Central Valley. It’s very important that we get this right and we get it right now.”

“The immigration bill impacts California tremendously, and agriculture is the largest of that type of industry that needs guaranteed labor,” Cunha said.

Valadao said he still has some issues with HR 15, such as exactly which crimes should disqualify resident aliens from a path to legal status. But he made it clear that he supports a path to citizenship.

Valadao said he hoped today’s lobbying blitz will push the process forward before time runs out on this year’s House session.

“There are a bunch of us getting nervous,” Valadao said. “We do want to see something move forward.”

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