Now that senate passed immigration reform, Clarke to draft house bill

July 3, 2013 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

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Calling the comprehensive immigration reform bill passed by the senate “a significant step forward for millions of Americans,” US Rep. Yvette Clarke said she’s prepared to draft a similar bill in the house.

“Senator Charles Schumer of New York has worked diligently with his colleagues in the senate to develop a bill that addresses the needs of his constituents, but our work must continue. I look forward to drafting a bipartisan bill in the House of Representatives that provides an opportunity for undocumented Americans to obtain legal status, protects the future immigrants who aspire to come to the United States, and demonstrates that we value families and children by encouraging reunification,” Clarke (D-Crown Heights-Brownsville) said in a statement.

The senate approved the bill by a vote of 68-32 on June 28. Schumer, New York’s senior senator, was one of the architects behind the legislation, working with a bi-partisan group of colleagues to get it passed. The 68 votes in favor of the bill are significant, according to Clarke, who noted that it provided a super-majority for the legislation’s supporters.

“The passage of the Senate immigration bill, S.744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act is a significant step forward for the millions of Americans– legal permanent residents and people without legal status – to become full participants in our civil society,” said Clarke, whose parents immigrated to the US from Jamaica.

Clarke is a member of the House Committee on Small Business and is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Cyber-security, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies.

The bill, which Schumer sponsored, includes funding to secure the border between the US and Mexico, according to USA Today. The newspaper also reported that the legislation contains a path to citizenship for undocumented workers who are already in the US. Schumer worked on the legislation as a member of the so-called “Gang of 8,” a group of Democrats and Republicans who came together to craft the bill. The “Gang of 8” members include US Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, whose parents were immigrants from Cuba.

John Boehner, the speaker of the house, has stated publicly that the house will not approve the senate bill, but will come up with legislation of its own.