The Washington Times reported recently that President Obama said that Congress would not be able to pass an immigration reform bill until sometime next year. The President acknowledged that there are more pressing issues at this time to deal with such as healthcare reform and the economy. Right now though, the issue that seems to be the most pressing is health care reform.
The President’s promise to act on immigration reform next year was intended to reassure immigrant rights groups who supported him during his campaign for President. However, many of those same groups raised concerns as the Obama administration continued the Bush Administration immigration enforcement policies such as allowing local law enforcement to enforce immigration laws or requiring worker-verification systems.
The President supports a broad immigration reform bill that would legalize the approximately 12 million undocumented immigrants and put them on a path to citizenship.
When Obama was in the Senate, he voted for the 2006 comprehensive immigration reform bill which passed in the Senate, but didn’t pass in the House. For the 2007 comprehensive immigration reofrm bill, it passed in the House, but fell through in the Senate.
With healthcare reform, a faltering economy, and immigration reform on the President’s agenda, this country has some major problems to resolve. The American people are looking to him and his administration to essentially undo failed policies implemented by prior administrations, and to put our country back on track.
The American prople must understand that he will be held accountable every step of the way towards resolving healthcare, the economy, and immigration reform. He is taking into consideration that reforming healthcare and the economy will benefit more people, including immigrants. Immigration reform although a major issue, will ultimately benefit approximately 12 million people.
Overall, this is a matter of prioritizing, and putting immigration on the back burner until next year seems to be the way in the President is best dealing with the immigration problem.
