Discussion centered on Senate’s bipartisan efforts to achieve commonsense immigration reform

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Vice-Chair of the Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee, Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV), and Senator Charles Schumer (NY) hosted a roundtable discussion today between Senate Democrats and immigration reform leaders representing the immigrant, faith, agriculture, labor, and civil rights communities at the U.S. Capitol.  The group discussed the recently released immigration reform legislation and upcoming efforts to overhaul our broken immigration system.

As the Senate continues to work on a bipartisan solution that creates a roadmap to citizenship for the millions of undocumented people in America and improves upon existing law, today’s open dialogue was critical to Senate Democrats’ efforts to hear from the diverse communities we represent and gain insight and input from a broad array of advocates. The discussion comes on the heels of the recently unveiled Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, abipartisan framework built on the following four principles: an earned path to citizenship, an effective employment verification system, the further strengthening of our borders, and a reformed legal immigration system that will help create American jobs and contribute to our economic growth.

“I was happy to discuss today the commonsense immigration reform bill that was introduced yesterday by a bipartisan group of senators. For me, this issue is personal. The stories I often hear in Nevada’s communities tug at the heartstrings. Our broken system tears families apart every day; it leaves our country vulnerable and it is not good for our economy.” said Senate Majority Leader Reid. “I will continue working closely with my Senate colleagues and with the community to get this bill over the finish line. I hope that throughout this process all the diverse organizations whose representatives I met today will stay active, involved and will continue to make their voices heard.”

“This bipartisan solution to fix our broken immigration system will jumpstart economic growth across the country,” said U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer. “We all agreed today that Americans are welcoming of legal immigration provided that we’re tough on illegal immigration. This is a balanced bill that does exactly that.”

“The discussion we had this morning with nearly two dozen immigration reform leaders was incredibly constructive. I’m particularly appreciative of their input as we all share the same goal: comprehensively reforming our broken immigration policies,” said Senator Shaheen. “I am pleased that a bipartisan coalition of Senators is working on a bill and I’m looking forward to reviewing their proposal. Reform is long overdue I hope the Senate will quickly act on comprehensive legislation.”

Photos from today’s meeting can be found here

About the Senate Democratic Steering & Outreach Committee

The Senate Democratic Steering and Outreach Committee is dedicated to fostering dialogue between Senate Democrats and community leaders from across the nation. Each year, the Steering Committee hosts several meetings with advocates, policy experts, and elected officials to discuss key priorities and enlist their help in the development of the Democratic agenda in the Senate. We are committed to serving as a liaison between Senate Democratic offices and advocacy groups and intergovernmental organizations. The Steering Committee is one of three Democratic Leadership Committees in the Senate. The Steering Committee is chaired by Senator Mark Begich (AK) and vice chaired by Senator Jeanne Shaheen (NH).

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