July, 27 2010, 12:26pm EDT
Harry Reid Steps Up on DREAM Act
Senate Majority Leader Pushes to Move Critical Immigration Bill
WASHINGTON
Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is embracing the need to move on the DREAM Act this
year, providing a shot of momentum to a measure that enjoys bipartisan
support. If enacted, the DREAM Act would serve as an important step
towards comprehensive immigration reform.
According
to Frank Sharry, Executive Director of America's Voice, "In pushing for
the DREAM Act, Senator Reid is doing the right thing. We all know that
comprehensive immigration reform is the only way to fix our nation's
dysfunctional immigration system once and for all. But the fact is, not
one Republican is currently willing to work with Democrats on a
comprehensive proposal because of election year politics. Senator
Reid's support for the DREAM Act - an immigration reform measure
authored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Richard Lugar (R-IN) that
would allow thousands of young people to earn legal immigration status
and eventually citizenship if they go to college or serve in the
military - gives the measure new momentum that could lead to its
enactment this year."
Senator
Reid gets the stakes at play when it comes to the DREAM Act, recently
saying, "I am happy to do the DREAM Act." He met with DREAM Act
eligible young people in Las Vegas; he made remarks about the need for the DREAM Act
at Netroots Nation on the same day his office received 20,000 petitions
in favor of DREAM; and he is meeting today with Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to discuss moving forward on DREAM.
Said
Sharry, "Pursuing the American dream is a core value of our nation, and
DREAM Act students embody these aspirations. Our broken immigration
laws are getting in the way of them realizing their full potential, and
Congress should clear the way now so they can achieve it."
Background
on the DREAM Act
The DREAM Act is
bipartisan legislation that would enable high-achieving young people to
continue their success and achieve the American Dream. Specifically,
the DREAM Act gives eligible young people who were brought to the U.S.
as children the opportunity to resolve their immigration status and work
towards citizenship. To move from being undocumented to being a U.S.
citizen, those eligible will have to pass background checks and be of
good moral character, graduate from high school, and go on to complete
additional requirements related to attending college or serving in the
military.
The legislation is
supported by leaders in education, the military, business, and religious
orders including the Evangelical movement, the Jewish community, and
the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It also has broad
bipartisan support in Congress, including lead sponsors Senator Dick
Durbin (D-IL), Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA),
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), and Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL).
The public supports the DREAM Act as well - a June 2010 national poll
conducted for First Focus found that support for the legislation cuts
across regional and party lines with 70% overall support, 60% support
from Republicans and 80% support from Democrats.
For more information
on DREAM, visit: https://nilc.org/immlawpolicy/DREAM/index.htm.
America's Voice -- Harnessing the power of American voices and American values to win common sense immigration reform. The mission of America's Voice is to realize the promise of workable and humane comprehensive immigration reform. Our goal is to build the public support and create the political momentum for reforms that will transform a dysfunctional immigration system that does not work into a regulatory system that does.
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