Statements on Senate Passage of Immigration Reform (unedited here)

President Obama:

Today, with a strong bipartisan vote, the United States Senate delivered for the American people, bringing us a critical step closer to fixing our broken immigration system once and for all. 

I thank Majority Leader Reid, Senator Leahy, Senator Schumer, and every member of the ‘Gang of Eight’ for their leadership, and I commend all Senators who worked across party lines to get this done.  

The bipartisan bill that passed today was a compromise.  By definition, nobody got everything they wanted.  Not Democrats.  Not Republicans.  Not me.  But the Senate bill is consistent with the key principles for commonsense reform that I – and many others – have repeatedly laid out. 

If enacted, the Senate bill would establish the most aggressive border security plan in our history.  It would offer a pathway to earned citizenship for the 11 million individuals who are in this country illegally – a pathway that includes passing a background check, learning English, paying taxes and a penalty, and then going to the back of the line behind everyone who’s playing by the rules and trying to come here legally.  It would modernize the legal immigration system so that it once again reflects our values as a nation and addresses the urgent needs of our time.  And it would provide a big boost to our recovery, by shrinking our deficits and growing our economy.

Today, the Senate did its job.  It’s now up to the House to do the same. 

As this process moves forward, I urge everyone who cares about this issue to keep a watchful eye.  Now is the time when opponents will try their hardest to pull this bipartisan effort apart so they can stop commonsense reform from becoming a reality.  We cannot let that happen.  If you’re among the clear majority of Americans who support reform – from CEOs to labor leaders, law enforcement to clergy – reach out to your Member of Congress.  Tell them to do the right thing.  Tell them to pass commonsense reform so that our businesses and workers are all playing by the same rules and everyone who’s in this country is paying their fair share in taxes. 

We have a unique opportunity to fix our broken system in a way that upholds our traditions as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants.  We just need Congress to finish the job. 

U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3:

“The bipartisan Senate vote is a step forward in the fight for comprehensive immigration reform. The House Majority should follow the Senate’s lead and act expeditiously to deal with both border security and create a path to citizenship for the millions who aspire to become Americans. The country is clearly demanding action in an area where it is long overdue. The time to act is now.”

U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn.:

Immigration reform used to be untouchable in Congress. But today, we can celebrate how far we’ve come with bipartisan passage of comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate. Our current immigration system hurts businesses across Connecticut, hinders law enforcement, and tears families apart. Robust immigration has made America the proud, multicultural country it is today, and with the right reforms, immigration will continue to be a defining strength of our great nation. I came to the Senate to help make this place work again, and today was a day that showed the Senate can still be a venue for Republicans and Democrats to unite around tough solutions to tough problems. I can only hope that the House of Representatives will realize that they need to step up as well and take action that mirrors this bipartisan bill.

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.:

“Today’s overwhelming bipartisan vote moves us closer to giving millions of people in Connecticut and across the country the opportunity to step out of the shadows and pursue the American Dream "

 

 

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy:

 “Today, the United States Senate acted upon President Obama’s call for this Congress to finally fix our broken immigration system and pass a bipartisan, commonsense immigration reform bill.  If enacted, this legislation will strengthen our borders, create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, stimulate our economy, and create jobs.

“I commend Senators Blumenthal and Murphy and all their colleagues in the Senate who worked so hard to craft a compromise bill that is tough and yet reaffirms our heritage as a nation of immigrants.  I also commend my fellow governors who worked in support of this effort, particularly to include in the bill a dramatic increase in STEM education funds to states to help us as we work to grow a domestic labor force of high-skilled workers.”