The New York Times reported today that President Obama commented yesterday in a meeting with immigrant activists that he would continue his efforts with immigration reform this year as long as he could garner a significant amount of Republican support.
However, insiders have said that an immigration reform bill cannot become a reality if the President used a legislative tactic known as reconciliation to pass health care reform. Reconciliation would a majority of 51 senators as opposed to 60, and, would require no Republican votes.
With the upcoming rally scheduled for March 21, 2010 at the National Mall in Washington, DC in mind, undocumented immigrant students in several cities have recently gathered publicly where they disclosed that they are undocumented and unafraid.
The momentum is once again increasing and immigrant rights advocates and their supporters are tired of waiting for the President to act quickly on this hot button issue.
Immigration reform no matter how the efforts progress will continue to remain a tough sell. The President must do everything in his power to graner the Congressional support he needs to resolve the immigration problem despite the difficulties he is having with health care reform, the economy, and rising unemployment.
Related posts:
Immigrant Activists Urge the President to Pass Immigration Reform