DREAM Update "white house" 12/5/2010

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/12/05/dream-update

Posted by Stephanie Valencia on December 05, 2010 at 11:55 AM EST
It’s been an incredibly busy week as we continue to work with our allies in Congress and across the country to try to get the DREAM Act across the finish line.

Here is a quick update. It looks like the House and Senate could take up the DREAM Act as early as this week. From the White House and Obama Administration we continue to do all we can, with everyone from the President to Cabinet and Senior officials working to highlight how important the DREAM Act is to our economy, our security, and our nation.

As you know, the DREAM Act is common-sense legislation drafted by both Republicans and Democrats that would give students who grew up in the United States a chance to contribute to our country’s well-being by serving in the U.S. armed forces or pursuing a higher education. Because it just makes sense, the DREAM Act has long enjoyed bipartisan support. It is limited, targeted legislation that will allow only the best and brightest young people to earn their legal status after a rigorous and lengthy process, and applies to those brought to the United States as minors through no fault of their own by their parents. These are young people who know no other home. Here is some of the work we have been doing:

Secretary Duncan participated in a call with Conservatives for Comprehensive Immigration Reform about the DREAM Act and posted an oped in The Hill saying “Passing the DREAM Act will unleash the full potential of young people who live out values that all Americans cherish — a strong work ethic; service to others; and a deep loyalty to our country. It will also strengthen our military, bolster our global economic competitiveness and increase our educational standing in the world.” Later that day he hosted a call with over 100 University Presidents on the importance of the DREAM Act.
Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, Cecilia Munoz and I participated in a DREAM Act web chat on WhiteHouse.gov taking great questions like whether the legislation would encourage people to come to the United States illegally (it would not) and whether the DREAM Act can be implemented by the President via Executive Order (it cannot, which is why he is strongly urging Congress to do the right thing by passing it). Secretary Solis, Valerie Jarrett, Cecilia Munoz and I participated in a conference call with hundreds of people across the country as well to give them an update.

On Wednesday, Joshua DuBois, Director of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships and over 100 faith leaders from across the country participated in a conference call about why the DREAM Act is the right thing to do.
Under Secretary of Defense Dr. Clifford Stanley spoke out in support of the DREAM Act saying "Throughout past and current conflicts, those who are not yet citizens have answered the call to defend their adopted nation...Allowing DREAM Act-eligible youth the opportunity to serve this nation would continue this tradition of service, while expanding the market of high-quality patriotic youth, to the advantage of military recruitment and readiness."

On Thursday, Secretary Napolitano held a conference call with reporters in which she made it clear that the DREAM Act is important for our law enforcement, and will help us better focus our resources so we can enforce immigration laws in a “way that makes sense,” targeting criminals.

On Friday, Secretary Locke hosted a call with University Presidents Dr. Carlos Campo, President of Regent University, Dr. Gene Block, Chancellor, UCLA and Dr. Eduardo Padron, Miami-Dade College to talk about the importance of the DREAM Act to our country’s competitiveness. Secretary Locke said, "These are kids that can be our future scientists, our doctors, our military leaders and our educators. Some of them are our future entrepreneurs who will build the next Google or Intel that will generate hundreds of thousands of good paying jobs for our country."

The White House also released a fact sheet and a top ten list on why we need to pass the DREAM Act, highlighting myths and facts about the legislation as well as highlighting real stories, key supporters of the bill and over 50 editorial boards that have come out in support of the DREAM Act .

So it’s the end of a busy week, but we will keep gearing up for more action next week as Congress heads toward votes. Keep up with what we're doing on WhiteHouse.gov.

Did they call those republicans to get votes?

I think we'v gotten enough news articles out there. This isn't enough effort from the White House, they need to reach out to get Republican senators on board.

Obama better be taking to on-the-fence senators if he wants DA to pass.

well.... there are indeed several links in the whitehouse website relating to the DREAM Act, and its the featured topic.

btw, here is the top 10 list that they are referring to in the article above.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/...need-dream-act

Too bad Republicans don't believe in facts.

Its not about talking to the senators that are on the fence, they might just vote in unison again. Its about getting this out to the people the decide who represents them, making this a very public issue and putting republicans that are against the DREAM Act on the spot, giving them a risk of losing elections if they are perceived as being against something that has a considerable amount of support from all facets of society, that is considered to be a point that could benefit everyone, and just dispelling the myths that have gone around.

I don't know, I still have some hope for this country. I still think that the republicans we have seen in chat rooms are drowning those that support the dream act by being more active and more loud.

Taking a poll is not an easy task, even statisticians sometimes get it wrong because there are just so many factors to consider. The only poll that may be accepted is one that is not made on a voluntary basis. Voluntary polls are the worst kind of polls to use by anyone, anywhere because it only brings people that have strong opinions for or against whatever is offered. An accurate poll is that which is not voluntary, targets people at random and where the pollsters are actually adequately trained to ask the questions in such a manner that regardless of how the person at the other end of the line responds they have to seem impartial. Those are the kind of polls that are showing a majority of people in favor of the DREAM Act, and their existence gives me hope that we are only seeing a very loud group supporting a stance on a bill that only a minority agree to.

We just need to get the information out to the people and encourage them to go out there and support our cause.

I have been hearing every time my parents turn on the radio in the car, advertisements about contacting senator LeMieux and asking for him to support the DREAM Act, I think advertisements like those will have a much greater effect then us simply doing the calls, we need to be proactive, and I disagree with the notion that we can only do one thing and one thing only, which is the stance several republicans are taking. that we can only secure the border first and then maybe consider this legislation, it does not work like that, that is not an efficient and reasonable path to take, you can secure the border and insure the lives of people living in this country currently in fear, give them some peace of mind.