Political Quotes

On the recordSeptember 29, 2010
Mr. President, in the opening days of this Congress, I expressed my steadfast commitment to reform of our Nation's broken immigration system. The Senate passed a bill in the 109th Congress and debated one in the 110th. Action is long overdue, but until today, no truly comprehensive immigration package has been introduced in the Senate in the 111th Congress. I congratulate Senator Menendez on the introduction of the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010, and am pleased to join him as an original cosponsor. The bill protects the rights and opportunities of American workers, while simultaneously ensuring that our Nation's employers and American farms can find the workers they need to prosper. The bill will increase national security by adding personnel and equipment where they are most needed in border communities. And by bringing undocumented immigrants out of the shadows, the bill will help to make our towns and cities safer. These are goals we can all share. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2010 includes several provisions that are priorities for Vermont, such as AgJOBS, which will provide critically needed workers for farms in Vermont and across the Nation. The bill would permanently extend the EB-5 Regional Center program, which generates investment capital and creates jobs. The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act also includes one of my top civil rights priorities, the Uniting American Families Act, and a bill I have long supported, the DREAM Act.…
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Patrick Leahy
Democratic · Vermont

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