Whitehouse Press Release: Statement by the President on Commonsense Immigration Reform
President Barack Obama speaks about government contracting reform. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
VIA THE WHITE HOUSE
The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
April 16, 2013
This afternoon, Senators Schumer and McCain briefed me on the bipartisan immigration reform bill that they have drafted with their colleagues in the Senate. This bill is clearly a compromise, and no one will get everything they wanted, including me. But it is largely consistent with the principles that I have repeatedly laid out for comprehensive reform. This bill would continue to strengthen security at our borders and hold employers more accountable if they knowingly hire undocumented workers. It would provide a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million individuals who are already in this country illegally. And it would modernize our legal immigration system so that we’re able to reunite families and attract the highly-skilled entrepreneurs and engineers who will help create good paying jobs and grow our economy. These are all commonsense steps that the majority of Americans support. I urge the Senate to quickly move this bill forward and, as I told Senators Schumer and McCain, I stand willing to do whatever it takes to make sure that comprehensive immigration reform becomes a reality as soon as possible.
President Obama optimistic on Comprehensive Immigration Reform
US President Barack Obama (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
An LA Times article covering the President’s optimism on passing Comprehensive Immigration Reform. The President indicated that several Republicans have also acknowledged the need for CIR (ostensibly to court the Latino vote for future elections).
“Obama outlined what he would like to see included in an immigration reform package but did not answer a question about whether he would send a draft of the legislation to Congress to consider.”