KENNEDY SUPPORTS HOUSE IMMIGRATION BILL
Today Senator Edward M. Kennedy issued the following statement in support of the comprehensive immigration reform bill introduced today in the House:
"I commend Representatives Gutierrez and Flake for introducing comprehensive immigration legislation and moving us one important step forward towards fixing our broken system. We have worked together closely on this plan and I believe it strikes the right balance between protecting our security, strengthening our economy, and enacting laws that uphold our humanity.
The immigration raids in New Bedford and other parts of the country are a painful reminder that reform is overdue. Raids are stopgap solutions that unfairly penalize vulnerable workers, drive them deeper into the shadows, and create a two-tiered economy that keeps hurting all workers. In contrast, the Gutierrez-Flake bill provides reforms that will hold accountable those employers who break the law while giving these undocumented workers an opportunity to earn legal status and stand up for their rights, thereby improving working conditions for all workers.
I'm hopeful that the House introduction today will help spur the necessary negotiations in the Senate to help forge the right kind of compromise. Last year, we beat the odds in the Senate by passing bipartisan immigration bill -- and I'm confident we'll do so again in the coming weeks."