Young people in New York are calling for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to bring the DREAM Act to a vote before Republicans assume the majority in the House in 2012.
The Senate Majority Leader reaffirmed his commitment to immigration reform, telling 6,000 in Las Vegas, “we’re going to pass immigration reform, just as we passed health care reform.”
Sen. Harry Reid - Photo: reid.senate.gov
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) says that even if a dozen Democratic senators decide not to back an immigration reform bill, he is “sure” the votes can come from Republicans.
Reid –who’s becoming ever more vocal about this issue — said that he was willing to put “the Democratic Party’s reputation on the line for immigration reform,” Univision.com reported. His comments are being closely monitored by Spanish-language media around the country.
The leader has acknowledged that not all 59 Democratic senators may back a comprehensive reform bill. Losing 10 or 12 votes from his own ranks, he added, “would leave us at 48. But I am sure that we will find 12 Republicans. I have no doubts this will be the case.”
Sixty votes are needed in the Senate to end a filibuster.
Sen. Harry Reid - Photo: reid.senate.gov
Since the Obama Administration took office, immigration reform has seemed to go forward in fits and starts. The White House’s cautious approach has led pro-immigration advocates to cherish every bit of reassuring news they can find.
One source for this type of news has been Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.), who late last year started speaking in favor of reforming the nation’s immigration laws. Last Thursday, at a time when the nation’s pundits were preoccupied with several other topics, Reid raised the issue once more: he said comprehensive immigration reform is “going to happen this session, but I want it this year, if at all possible,” according to The Washington Post.
The Post‘s Ben Pershing added that Reid called immigration reform “one of his three top priorities this year, along with health care and energy.”