Immigration Reform

Floor Speech

Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, more than 18 months ago, the Senate passed a comprehensive and bipartisan immigration bill that would strengthen neighborhoods across the country, further secure our borders, inject certainty into our economy, boost our STEM and tech community, create jobs, protect employers, keep families together, our deficit would be reduced by nearly $1 trillion, and fix our Nation's broken immigration system. That was 18 months ago.

More than a year ago, we introduced H.R. 15, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, which would have moved comprehensive immigration reform forward, a debate so far that has been dominated by partisan politics and obstruction.

All we are asking for is the chance to vote on the bill in this body, a simple up-or-down vote. That is all we ask. We are running out of time to act on immigration reform and pass legislation that an overwhelming majority of Americans have asked the House to approve for more than a year.

Again, I ask this body to put the interests of the country above those of party politics and give H.R. 15 the up-or-down vote it truly deserves.

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