Unveiling a new immigration plan that has been described as "tough, but fair," a bipartisan group of eight senators put forth a plan that hearkens back to the days of Ronald Reagan. The plan would allow the majority of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. to become citizens. Back in 1986, President Reagan signed a bill into law that legalized almost 3 million immigrants. This current measure would be the most sweeping reform since then.
"We still have a long way to go, but this bipartisan blueprint is a major breakthrough," said Senator Chuck Schumer, D-New York, who added that the plan now is to introduce a bill and have it pass the Senate by "late spring or summer."
The group of senators has been meeting since December on the issue and includes Republicans John McCain, Marco Rubio, Jeff Flake and Lindsey Graham, along with Democrats Michael Bennet, Dick Durbin, Robert Menendez and Chuck Schumer. "For the first time ever, there's more political risk in opposing immigration reform than supporting it," Schumer said at the press conference. "We believe we have a window of opportunity to act."
John McCain, who tried to lead a charge for immigration reform in 2006 that ultimately failed, indicated that this time it could be different because of Republican fears of losing the Hispanic vote. "The Republican Party is losing the support of our Hispanic citizens," McCain said. Indeed, now that the numbers warrant it, it seems the politicians have a new favorite group of Americans and would-be Americans.
"We still have a long way to go, but this bipartisan blueprint is a major breakthrough," said Senator Chuck Schumer, D-New York, who added that the plan now is to introduce a bill and have it pass the Senate by "late spring or summer."
The group of senators has been meeting since December on the issue and includes Republicans John McCain, Marco Rubio, Jeff Flake and Lindsey Graham, along with Democrats Michael Bennet, Dick Durbin, Robert Menendez and Chuck Schumer. "For the first time ever, there's more political risk in opposing immigration reform than supporting it," Schumer said at the press conference. "We believe we have a window of opportunity to act."
John McCain, who tried to lead a charge for immigration reform in 2006 that ultimately failed, indicated that this time it could be different because of Republican fears of losing the Hispanic vote. "The Republican Party is losing the support of our Hispanic citizens," McCain said. Indeed, now that the numbers warrant it, it seems the politicians have a new favorite group of Americans and would-be Americans.
