Friday, March 29, 2024

Hispanic Lawmakers to Meet with President Obama to Push Immigration Legislation in Lame Duck Session

Leaders from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus will meet with the President this afternoon in an effort to get the White House to support the passage of an immigration bill during the lame duck session.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) and Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) will be present at the meeting.  The lawmakers hope to convince the administration of the need to push for immigration reform now before the incoming GOP-controlled House convenes next year.  Immigration reform advocates fear the already slim chances for passage of immigration legislation will dwindle even further with the new Congress.

The lame duck session begins this week and will end next month.

While the White House has not signaled any plans for the lame duck session, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), has promised to bring the DREAM Act to the Senate floor during the lame duck session.  Reid is coming off a hard fought won in a race where Latino voters gave him the edge over his Republican opponent.

La Plaza reported on Reid’s previous attempt to get the Senate to vote on the DREAM Act in late September.  Although support for the law, which would grant undocumented students legal status if they meet certain criteria, gained momentum at the time, Republicans blocked it by a procedural vote.

Politics Daily