Gang of 8 Bill passed out of Senate Judiciary
Washington, D.C. – Congressional Hispanic CaucusChairman Rubén Hinojosa (TX-15) issued the following statement praising the Senate Judiciary Committee for voting to report the Gang of 8’s bipartisan immigration reform proposal – S.744: The Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013. The legislation is now headed for consideration before the full senate in June.
"The CHC commends the Senate Judiciary Committee and Chairman Patrick Leahy for completing markup of the bipartisan 'Gang of 8' immigration proposal. Passage of the bill clears a big hurdle and continues to show that leaders on both sides of the aisle are willing to work together to develop a sensible immigration reform proposal. We are pleased that our nine principles of immigration reform continue to be reflected in the Senate's efforts and we look forward to continuing the momentum."
Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) issued the following statement:
“I applaud my colleagues from the Senate Judiciary Committee, under the leadership of Chairman Patrick Leahy, for holding a successful mark-up of the Gang of 8 immigration reform proposal. After extensive consideration of hundreds of amendments, I am pleased to see that the original foundation of our legislation was not weakened.
“The wide range of amendments adopted were all made in good faith, and it is clear that there is consensus around the fact that we must fix our broken system once and for all. Our carefully crafted compromise withstood a tough series of poison pill amendments, and its passage out of the Judiciary Committee brings us a step closer to final passage by the senate.
“It’s a long road ahead, and our work is far from done, but the diverse coalition that has formed in support of comprehensive immigration reform continues to grow. Members from the entire political spectrum continue to support the bipartisan proposal put forth; this is the right approach at the right time. I will continue to do everything I can to push this bill across the finish line, and I look forward to a thoughtful and fair debate in the senate floor.”
En Español:
"Felicito a mis colegas de el Comité Judicial del Senado, bajo la dirección del Presidente Patrick Leahy, por celebrar una sesión de debate exitosa sobre la propuesta del Grupo de los 8. Después de una extensa consideración de cientos de enmiendas, me complace ver que la base original de nuestra legislación no fue debilitada.
"La amplia gama de enmiendas adoptadas fueron propuestas de buena fe, y es evidente que hay consenso sobre el hecho de que debemos arreglar nuestro sistema roto de una vez por todas. Nuestro compromiso fue cuidadosamente elaborado, y fue por eso que soportó una dura serie de enmiendas tildadas como píldoras de veneno. Su aprobación por el Comité Judicial nos lleva un paso más cerca de su aprobación final por el Senado.
"Nos queda un largo camino por delante, y nuestro trabajo está lejos de terminar, pero la coalición diversa que se ha formado en apoyo de la reforma migratoria integral sigue creciendo. Los miembros de todo el espectro político siguen apoyando la propuesta bipartidista que ha sido presentada; esta es la propuesta correcta en el momento adecuado. Voy a seguir haciendo todo lo posible para lograr aprobar este proyecto de ley, y espero con interés un debate reflexivo y justo en el pleno del Senado".
A total of 48 Republican amendments were adopted
All amendments are available on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s website: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov