Rep. Kirkpatrick Announces Policy Win for DREAMERS

Press Release

Rep. Kirkpatrick announces new funding victories from the FY2021 2021 Legislative Branch bill. The bill includes provisions that would allow DACA receipts to work on Capitol Hill, a policy that helps Rep. Kirkpatrick's legislation, The American Dream Employment Act. The full bill funds the Legislative Branch of the U.S. government, including the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressional Budget Office, and Capitol Police.

"I have been working on this provision for a few years now and it is incredibly rewarding to see our fight for DREAMers continue to take shape through the House. I have always emphasized that if our Republican colleagues on the Hill could hear the heartbreaking, inspiring and resilient stories of DREAMers and work alongside them, then I believe they would understand the importance of fixing our broken immigration system. This is one step in a series of steps we need to take," said Rep. Kirkpatrick. "DREAMers are Americans and they should be able to have a voice in the legislative process which impacts their lives and communities."

"I will continue to work alongside my colleagues in the Senate to ensure we see this proposal become law, and our DREAMers become a reality working on Capitol Hill."

Rep. Kirkpatrick's Arizona priorities were successfully included and approved in today's vote. Some of Rep. Kirkpatrick's toplines include:

DACA Recipients eligible for employment in Legislative Branch
Funding for the Government Accountability Office, to sustain increases in staffing & begin to address its information technology and building renovation needs
Language instructing the Architect of the Capitol to remove statues, busts, and portraits honoring individuals who served in the Confederacy, who were known white supremacists, and others deemed offensive;
Established a Lobbyist Disclosure Unique Identifier, to report on generating a Congress-wide unique identifier for lobbyists & disclosing that identifier to the public as structured data as part of the lobbying disclosure downloads
In addition to securing some of her major Arizona priorities, Rep. Kirkpatrick was instrumental in helping the committee allocate national funding priorities.

"This bill also makes key investments in our workforce so that Members of Congress and staff can continue to serve our constituencies during this global pandemic. This bill also includes language to remove statues of divisive figures of the Confederacy, known white supremacists, or of those who have a history of racial intolerance," said Rep. Kirkpatrick. "Congress was built so that every corner of America would be represented, I'm proud that we are taking the necessary steps to ensure all feel welcomed when visiting their nation's Capitol."

The bill appropriates a total of $4.198 billion, $207 million, or 5.2 percent, above the FY 2020 enacted level. In keeping with longstanding practice whereby each chamber of Congress determines its own housekeeping requirements and the other concurs without intervention, the bill does not include funds for the Senate or for Senate office buildings.

A summary of the Legislative Branch bill is here. The text of the bill, prior to adoption of amendments in full committee, is here. The bill report is here.

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