Nearly two dozen Congressional Democrats are turning up the pressure on Pres. Biden to include an amnesty for millions of illegal aliens as part of his massive infrastructure and jobs proposal.
The group of 22 legislators -- led by Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) -- urged the President to include the Citizenship for Essential Workers Act that would offer immediate work permits and a path to citizenship for more than 5 million illegal aliens who hold jobs that the bill's authors consider to be "essential".
We write to urge you to prioritize the inclusion of H.R. 1909 / S. 747, the Citizenship for EssentialWorkers Act, which would create a pathway to citizenship for millions of immigrant essential workers, as part of the American Families Plan and your legislative package on jobs and infrastructure. For the past year, essential workers have further proven themselves to be a truly important part of our nation’s critical infrastructure and crucial part of the backbone of our society. The U.S.Department of Homeland Security even designated essential workers as part of our nation’s critical infrastructure.
These workers have kept America fed, healthy, and safe throughout this pandemic, and they will be just as essential to our nation’s economic recovery. Over 5 million of these workers are undocumented immigrants -- they are among the farmworkers, meatpackers, nurses, janitors, construction workers, grocery store clerks, truck drivers, restaurant cooks, domestic workers, home health care aides, emergency first responders, and so many others who have stepped up for our nation during this unprecedented crisis. ...
These immigrant essential workers have more than earned a pathway to citizenship. In fact, a bipartisan majority of Americans agree that a path to citizenship for essential workers is the right thing to do. Essential workers are American heroes and they have earned the right to becomeAmerican citizens. They have stepped up for America. It’s time for us to step up for them.
Democrats have floated the idea of using the budget reconciliation process to pass Pres. Biden's infrastructure and jobs package. Under the budget reconciliation process, legislation only needs 50 votes in the Senate for passage, whereas most bills require 60 votes.
Earlier this year, Pres. Biden and Democratic Congressional Leaders used the reconciliation process to pass the President's COVID relief and economic stimulus bill. While they're once again eyeing the budget reconciliation process to pass Pres. Biden's infrastructure package, the process has been used no more than once per year since it's creation in the mid-1970s.
