May, 25 2010, 03:16pm EDT
It's Time for Republicans to Come to the Table and Offer Real Solutions for Immigration Reform
In response to President Barack Obama's meeting with
Republican Senators today to discuss how to move
forward on immigration reform Service Employees International Union
(SEIU) Executive Vice-President, Eliseo Medina released the following
statement:
"President Obama's admirable effort to
invite Republicans to the table on immigration reform is an encouraging
step forward. But given the GOPs continued push for extreme, costly, and
ineffective enforcement measures, we are not holding our breath.
WASHINGTON
In response to President Barack Obama's meeting with
Republican Senators today to discuss how to move
forward on immigration reform Service Employees International Union
(SEIU) Executive Vice-President, Eliseo Medina released the following
statement:
"President Obama's admirable effort to
invite Republicans to the table on immigration reform is an encouraging
step forward. But given the GOPs continued push for extreme, costly, and
ineffective enforcement measures, we are not holding our breath.
"Despite the support of a small
minority of wise Republican leaders like Senator Richard Lugar and
former Florida governor Jeb Bush, the Republican Party has made it clear
that they are the party of "no"-- blocking real, workable immigration
solutions at every turn.
"While President Obama and Democrats in
Congress have repeatedly invited Republicans to the table to negotiate a
compromise on this critical American issue, Republicans have refused to
cross the aisle and work with Democrats to deliver the comprehensive
immigration reform that a vast majority of Americans want. Former
bi-partisan champions of comprehensive immigration reform, like Senators
John McCain and Lindsey Graham, have been cow-towed by the radical
right-wing of their party. They have turned their backs on real reform
in favor of extremist rhetoric and costly but ineffective policies that
do nothing to actually fix our broken system.
"On the heels of Arizona's SB 1070, it
is Republicans who have pushed for ineffective and costly copycat laws
in 15 states across the country. And it is Republican candidates--from
Marco Rubio in Florida to Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner in
California--who continue to use immigrants as a political football to
score cheap points with their extremist base.
"Today's meeting gave Republican
leaders one last opportunity to show working families and immigrants
that they are serious about solving one of our nation's toughest
problems. The President opened the door for Republicans to come together
with Democrats to create an immigration system that works. The choice
is theirs. We need Republican leaders with the courage to put America's
future ahead of the political expediency. We need Republican leaders who
will unite us, not divide us. We need Republican leaders to prove that
they are more than just the party of "no" and join us in the fight for
the real immigration solutions that America needs."
With 2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy.
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