WASHINGTON, D.C. – Next week, the full Senate will begin floor debate on S. 744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 in favor of the bill in May and, during markup, senators approved more than 140 of the nearly 300 amendments submitted.
Most represent good-faith efforts to improve the bill and to make government more accountable for its effective implementation. The vast majority of amendments that passed did so with bipartisan support.
The following is a statement by Ali Noorani, Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum:
“There’s no doubt we’ve come a long way to get where we are with immigration reform. Getting the Gang of 8 bill over the hurdle of passing the Senate Judiciary Committee was a great victory, but in many ways we are still at the starting line.
“As the Senate takes up floor action on the bill, it is vital that key players in the Senate continue to work in the spirit of compromise and cooperation and that we continue to build upon the momentum that got us this far», he said.
“The American people have said time and time again that they want commonsense immigration reform. And that means reuniting families, recognizing the importance of immigration to our economy and our communities, and including a roadmap to citizenship for aspiring Americans. The bill headed for the Senate floor next week does exactly that.
“As we move full speed ahead, let’s keep our eyes on the end-goal and ensure that this broad and balanced bill gets the full support it needs in the Senate», he concluded.
