The question is whether Republicans in the House have the will to find a way to move towards immigration reform. As the current term nears the break for the holidays, the leaders in the House have about 20 or so days to dig deep into their conscience and do what is right for the American people.
Immigration reform is good for our businesses, our families, our communities and our economy. Study after study reiterates the economic benefits of reforming our broken system that prevents employers from hiring the best talent. Day after day we hear stories of families separated longing to be reunited. We need only take a walk in our own neighborhood to see the contributions of immigrants; those who have long lived in the shadows and yearn to be fully integrated into our societies and those who work hard to live the American Dream.
Politics recently forced our Government to shut down on an impasse of ideologies and principles. Although the impasse is not over, we are moving forward. It is time our Nation’s Leaders channel our forefathers and act as elected by the people for the people.
How?
By taking the lead and working together to pass the badly needed, most comprehensive overhaul of our broken and unworkable immigration process. The House sits on a bipartisan Senate bill that would give 11 million individuals an opportunity to show the American people that they are in fact contributing members of our communities and set them on a roadmap to full integration. Furthermore, it would kick-start our economy by allowing business to bring the talent they need in a timely fashion, and set forth parameters to protect our borders. But even with resistance to adopt the Senate bill, the House has been incubating a series of bills that, together, would move immigration reform forward.
Just yesterday, reports note that at least two separate measures are currently being drafted by House Republicans to address the thorniest part of an immigration rewrite: how to handle the immigrants who either came to the U.S illegally or overstayed their visas. If this is true, it is a welcome development.
The clock is ticking and the status quo cannot continue. As Sen. John McCain (AZ-R) recently noted, “doing nothing on immigration is a grave disservice to the American people.” Our Nation and the American people deserve reform. Our Leaders must rise to the challenge, put politics aside and get to work. They must uncover the will within their hearts and find the way to reach a compromise on the reform of our immigration laws.