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|  | | MicEvHill.Com | | Covering Immigration and Refugee Legislative Matters from Inside the Beltway |
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Representative Gutierrez to Unveil the "Core Principles" for His
Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill
By Micheal E. Hill
October 12, 2009 - 7:00 am EDT
Representative Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL), who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus' Immigration Task Force, is working on a com prehensive immigration reform bill. He is expected to unveil what he calls "the core principles" that will be included in his bill on Tuesday, October 13, 2009, in front of thousands of pro-immigrant advocates at a rally and prayer vigil that is taking place on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building. The Congressman will be joined at the vigil by Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Nydia Velazquez (D-NY), Congressional Asian and Pacific American Caucus Chairman Mike Honda (D-CA), and others.
Representative Gutierrez pledged during a September 17, 2009, National Citizenship Day celebration in Washington, DC to introduce the bill in the coming weeks. However, that timetable seems to have slipped. It was unclear at the time of this writing, however, when he will release the text of the measure.
Upon announcing that he was planning to introduce a comprehensive immigration reform bill, Representative Gutierrez said, "I am overwhelmed by the support of immigrant, faith-based and community-based organizations in urging me to introduce comprehensive immigration legislation. We simply cannot wait any longer for a bill that keeps our families together, protects our workers and allows a pathway to legalization for those who have earned it. Saying immigration is a priority for this Administration or this Congress is not the same as seeing tangible action, and the longer we wait, the more every single piece of legislation we debate will be obstructed by our failure to pass comprehensive reform."
The Congressman went on to say in his September statement that, "[w]e need a bill that says if you come here to hurt our communities, we will not support you; but if you are here to work hard and to make a better life for your family, you will have the opportunity to earn your citizenship. We need a law that says it is un-American for a mother to be torn from her child, and it is unacceptable to undermine our workforce by driving the most vulnerable among us further into the shadows."
Gutierrez asserted in his statement his belief that "the support base for this kind of compassionate and comprehensive legislation is strong and far reaching." He contended that there are sufficient votes to pass such a measure, saying "I have always said that immigration reform will not be easy; but it is time we had a workable plan working its way through Congress that recognizes the vast contributions of immigrants to this country and that honors the American Dream."
It is unclear at the time of this writing when Representative Gutierrez will unveil the text of his bill and how closely it will hue to the provisions in H.R. 1645, comprehensive immigration reform legislation that Gutierrez introduced during the 110th Congress along with Representative Jeff Flake (R-A). That bill was known as the "Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy Act of 2007" Act, or the STRIVE Act.
Click Here to see the September 17, 2009, press release issued by the office of Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) announcing his impending introduction of comprehensive immigration reform legislation
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