Foster Responds To State of the Union Address, Calls For Increased Focus On Strengthening The Middle Class, Immigration Reform

Press Release

Today, Congressman Bill Foster released the following statement on President Obama's State of the Union address:

"I was very pleased to see President Obama lay out an agenda to support working families. Everyone deserves a shot at the American dream -- to get a good education, a job that supports a family, and a place to call home. Unfortunately, for too many, that dream is becoming harder to achieve. Our country succeeds when our middle class succeeds and it is critical that our policies support working families.

"I was also pleased to hear the President's call to action. Too many critical issues have fallen by the wayside because Congress has failed to act -- unemployment insurance, raising the minimum wage, commonsense gun control laws and comprehensive immigration reform. It's time for Congress to get to work.

"People like my guest Maria Torres, are taking action to make their voices heard on important issues like immigration reform, it's time for Congress to start listening. I brought Maria as my guest today because her story is a powerful example of why we need to pass comprehensive immigration reform. Maria learned English, worked her way through college, and is now giving back to her community. But under our current laws, Maria has no path to citizenship. I believe immigration reform is one of the most important issues facing Congress because it's the right thing to do morally and fiscally -- passing comprehensive immigration reform would grow our economy and reduce our deficit."

Foster's guest for the State of the Union was Maria Torres, an undocumented youth, who came to Illinois when she was 15 years old. After she came to the US, Torres learned English, graduated from high school with honors, and received a bachelor's degree from Northern Illinois University in December 2012. Torres was granted work authorization through Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals but currently is ineligible for citizenship. Torres works at Family Focus in Aurora, IL, helping others navigate the immigration system.

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