CQ (Article by David Harrison): Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed emphatic support Tuesday for the Democrats’ longstanding effort to grant citizenship to young people who were brought to the country illegally as children and who enroll in college or join the military.
Reid’s comments on behalf of the citizenship legislation (S 952), HR 1842, commonly called the DREAM Act, come as momentum builds on the GOP side for an alternative measure that would not explicitly grant citizenship to undocumented young people, but that Republicans believe could increase their appeal among Hispanic voters.
“The DREAM Act is there for a purpose,” Reid, D-Nev., said. “It gives young men and women who came here when they were really just kids an opportunity to join the military or to go to school, and I’m not going to give anything that is short of allowing these young men and women from becoming citizens.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, a freshman Republican from Florida, has said he is working on legislation that would create a new non-immigrant work visa category for young undocumented people to allow them to stay and work in the United States. Unlike the Democrats’ bill, Rubio’s measure would not offer a direct path to citizenship. But it leaves open the possibility that people could later apply for permanent resident status, which could eventually lead to citizenship.
Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney has said he would veto the Democrats’ DREAM Act. This week, however, Romney suggested that the GOP needs to introduce legislation to appeal to Hispanic voters, who will be crucial in this year’s election. Speaking at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida, he expressed support for a “Republican DREAM Act” in remarks that were overheard by reporters, according to NBC.
Some advocates for undocumented people say they would consider Rubio’s proposal if it allowed them to live and work legally without the constant fear of deportation. But Democrats have been quick to reject it.
Last week, President Obama called out Republicans for backing tough state laws on illegal immigration» while simultaneously pushing federal legislation for political gain. “That looks like hypocrisy to me,” Obama said Friday in a Telemundo interview in which he also reiterated his pledge to overhaul the country’s immigration rules.
Pressure on Both Sides
Both parties have come under pressure recently to deal with immigration since an earlier, bipartisan version of the DREAM Act did not overcome a Senate filibuster in 2010. On Thursday, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a group of undocumented young people plan to rally outside the Capitol and call on lawmakers to pass the DREAM Act.
Rubio’s proposal could pose a challenge to members of his party, many of whom have been adamant that illegal immigrants should not be allowed to stay in the country indefinitely. On Tuesday, though, at least one conservative senator held his fire.
“I appreciate him trying to solve the problem,” said Sen. Jim DeMint; , R-S.C., who added that he could not speak to the specifics of Rubio’s plan because he had not seen the bill.
A Rubio aide said Tuesday that the senator was “a ways off” from introducing the bill. “We want to get it right, so we’re taking our time and talking to lots of people,” the aide said.
Reid’s comments on behalf of the citizenship legislation (S 952), HR 1842, commonly called the DREAM Act, come as momentum builds on the GOP side for an alternative measure that would not explicitly grant citizenship to undocumented young people, but that Republicans believe could increase their appeal among Hispanic voters.
“The DREAM Act is there for a purpose,” Reid, D-Nev., said. “It gives young men and women who came here when they were really just kids an opportunity to join the military or to go to school, and I’m not going to give anything that is short of allowing these young men and women from becoming citizens.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, a freshman Republican from Florida, has said he is working on legislation that would create a new non-immigrant work visa category for young undocumented people to allow them to stay and work in the United States. Unlike the Democrats’ bill, Rubio’s measure would not offer a direct path to citizenship. But it leaves open the possibility that people could later apply for permanent resident status, which could eventually lead to citizenship.
Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney has said he would veto the Democrats’ DREAM Act. This week, however, Romney suggested that the GOP needs to introduce legislation to appeal to Hispanic voters, who will be crucial in this year’s election. Speaking at a closed-door fundraiser in Florida, he expressed support for a “Republican DREAM Act” in remarks that were overheard by reporters, according to NBC.
Some advocates for undocumented people say they would consider Rubio’s proposal if it allowed them to live and work legally without the constant fear of deportation. But Democrats have been quick to reject it.
Last week, President Obama called out Republicans for backing tough state laws on illegal immigration» while simultaneously pushing federal legislation for political gain. “That looks like hypocrisy to me,” Obama said Friday in a Telemundo interview in which he also reiterated his pledge to overhaul the country’s immigration rules.
Pressure on Both Sides
Both parties have come under pressure recently to deal with immigration since an earlier, bipartisan version of the DREAM Act did not overcome a Senate filibuster in 2010. On Thursday, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a group of undocumented young people plan to rally outside the Capitol and call on lawmakers to pass the DREAM Act.
Rubio’s proposal could pose a challenge to members of his party, many of whom have been adamant that illegal immigrants should not be allowed to stay in the country indefinitely. On Tuesday, though, at least one conservative senator held his fire.
“I appreciate him trying to solve the problem,” said Sen. Jim DeMint
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