No Vote on Immigration Hurts Economy, National Security, Families
Calls for President to use His Legal Authority to Ease the Burden on Businesses, Workers, Families
Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today blasted the decision by House Speaker John Boehner to not hold a vote on immigration this year. The decision comes days after Bennet marked the one-year anniversary of the Senate’s passage of a bipartisan bill to fix our broken immigration system.
“It is reprehensible that Speaker Boehner and House Republicans would choose the status quo rather than working to secure our border, boost the economy, reduce the deficit, and protect millions of families. What’s most frustrating about this is that we agree on both sides of the aisle that our current immigration system is broken. We agree that it’s critical for our economy and for our country. Yet the House of Representatives refuses to move forward.
“If the House needs a model to get this done, it can use the bipartisan and transparent process the Senate used to pass a bill with the support of almost 70 senators. And that was done with the leadership of four Republicans who came to the table to do what was right for their country and for their party.
“It’s not a matter of if we get this done, but when. Today’s news only sends the message that the House of Representatives would rather play politics than focus on the country’s needs.
“With the House affirmatively announcing it will allow the burden to continue to grow for a broad spectrum of businesses and workers as well as families, it is time for the President to use the limited legal authorities granted to him by the Constitution to take steps to ease those burdens on our businesses, workers, and families.”
Bennet is a member of the bipartisan “Group of 8” that introduced the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 last April following several months of discussions and negotiations with a diverse group of stakeholders. The bill secures our borders, includes a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, makes reforms to an outdated visa system to ensure businesses have access to the workers they need, and includes important worker protections. The Senate passed the bill last June.
Bennet’s work on the bill was informed by a statewide conversation on immigration he led that produced a set of principles called the Colorado Compact. Hundreds of statewide leaders spanning the political, business, law enforcement, agricultural, civic, and religious spectrums signed the Compact.