Proudly Co-Authoring Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Oct 8, 2013
Newsletters
I am proud to announce that I co-authored H.R. 15, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act. H.R. 15 is the House version of the bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill passed by the Senate.
The Senate has passed tough, fair, bipartisan comprehensive reform legislation that strengthens our borders and offers an earned pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants already living, working and raising families here. It's time for the House to do the same.
This House bill contains the same provisions from the bipartisan Senate-passed bill (S. 744) that protect workers, unite families, and offer immigrants an earned pathway to citizenship. It also contains the same provisions from the bipartisan Senate-passed bill that reform our visa programs and the enforcement of immigration laws.
The only difference between the House and Senate bills is that the House bill replaces the Senate's border security provision with a provision unanimously passed by the House Committee on Homeland Security in May. While the Senate bill spelled out a specific border security plan, the House legislation simply directs the Department of Homeland Security to develop a strategic plan to secure the border which will then be approved by Congress.
Not only is passing this bill the right thing to do for our country and in line with our nation's most fundamental principles, it will boost our economy and lower our debt.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), enactment of the bipartisan Senate-passed comprehensive immigration reform bill would reduce the deficit by $850 billion. The CBO also estimates that the Senate-passed bill would increase economic growth by 3.3 percent in 2023 and 5.4 percent in 2033.
Our nation was built by immigrants - by people who came here in pursuit of the American Dream - a dream of liberty in a country where, if you work hard, and play by the rules, you find a job, buy a house, send your kids to college, and save for retirement. It's a dream that knows no race, creed nor color. It's a dream that brought my grandparents to America from Italy. And it's a dream that still brings millions to our nation every year.
But right now, our immigration system is broken. We need to fix it. We can't do that through piecemeal steps. We need to pass a comprehensive plan that addresses the whole problem. This bill does that.
By working together with folks on both sides of the aisle, we can pass H.R. 15. And we can make sure the American Dream remains a real possibility - not just for those born within our borders - but also for those who have arrived on our shores in search of a better life.
Sincerely,
MIKE THOMPSON
Member of Congress
The Senate has passed tough, fair, bipartisan comprehensive reform legislation that strengthens our borders and offers an earned pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants already living, working and raising families here. It's time for the House to do the same.
This House bill contains the same provisions from the bipartisan Senate-passed bill (S. 744) that protect workers, unite families, and offer immigrants an earned pathway to citizenship. It also contains the same provisions from the bipartisan Senate-passed bill that reform our visa programs and the enforcement of immigration laws.
The only difference between the House and Senate bills is that the House bill replaces the Senate's border security provision with a provision unanimously passed by the House Committee on Homeland Security in May. While the Senate bill spelled out a specific border security plan, the House legislation simply directs the Department of Homeland Security to develop a strategic plan to secure the border which will then be approved by Congress.
Not only is passing this bill the right thing to do for our country and in line with our nation's most fundamental principles, it will boost our economy and lower our debt.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), enactment of the bipartisan Senate-passed comprehensive immigration reform bill would reduce the deficit by $850 billion. The CBO also estimates that the Senate-passed bill would increase economic growth by 3.3 percent in 2023 and 5.4 percent in 2033.
Our nation was built by immigrants - by people who came here in pursuit of the American Dream - a dream of liberty in a country where, if you work hard, and play by the rules, you find a job, buy a house, send your kids to college, and save for retirement. It's a dream that knows no race, creed nor color. It's a dream that brought my grandparents to America from Italy. And it's a dream that still brings millions to our nation every year.
But right now, our immigration system is broken. We need to fix it. We can't do that through piecemeal steps. We need to pass a comprehensive plan that addresses the whole problem. This bill does that.
By working together with folks on both sides of the aisle, we can pass H.R. 15. And we can make sure the American Dream remains a real possibility - not just for those born within our borders - but also for those who have arrived on our shores in search of a better life.
Sincerely,
MIKE THOMPSON
Member of Congress
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