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US House OKs bill to help young illegal immigrants
Source: Xinhua |
December 9, 2010, Thursday
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US House of Representatives last night passed a measure to give tens of thousands of young illegal immigrants a path to legal status.
By a tally of 216 to 198, the House voted to pass the so-called DREAM Act, an abbreviated name for the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act.
If passed, the measure would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrant children who were brought to the United States before turning 16 years old, have lived continuously in the country for at least five years and graduated from high school or gained an equivalency degree if they joined the military or attended college for two years.
The bill now moves to the Senate, which is expected to take up the measure this morning. But its chances of clearing the upper chamber are considered slim, as Democrats need at least 60 votes to overcome Republicans' filibuster.
US President Barack Obama sent his congratulations to congressional leaders immediately after the vote, and urged the Senate to pass the bill so that he can sign it into law as soon as possible.
"This vote is not only the right thing to do for a group of talented young people who seek to serve a country they know as their own by continuing their education or serving in the military, but it is the right thing for the United States of America," Obama said in a statement.
"The DREAM Act is not amnesty; it's about accountability, and about tapping into a pool of talent we' ve already invested in," he said.
Eight Republicans crossed the party line to vote in favor of the bill. Most Republicans opposed the measure as they considered it a "mass amnesty," arguing it would allow even criminals and terrorists to gain legal status.
Republicans also worry about the long-term effect the bill would have on the country's budget, even though the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would cut the deficit by 2.2 billion dollars over the next 10 years.
By a tally of 216 to 198, the House voted to pass the so-called DREAM Act, an abbreviated name for the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act.
If passed, the measure would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrant children who were brought to the United States before turning 16 years old, have lived continuously in the country for at least five years and graduated from high school or gained an equivalency degree if they joined the military or attended college for two years.
The bill now moves to the Senate, which is expected to take up the measure this morning. But its chances of clearing the upper chamber are considered slim, as Democrats need at least 60 votes to overcome Republicans' filibuster.
US President Barack Obama sent his congratulations to congressional leaders immediately after the vote, and urged the Senate to pass the bill so that he can sign it into law as soon as possible.
"This vote is not only the right thing to do for a group of talented young people who seek to serve a country they know as their own by continuing their education or serving in the military, but it is the right thing for the United States of America," Obama said in a statement.
"The DREAM Act is not amnesty; it's about accountability, and about tapping into a pool of talent we' ve already invested in," he said.
Eight Republicans crossed the party line to vote in favor of the bill. Most Republicans opposed the measure as they considered it a "mass amnesty," arguing it would allow even criminals and terrorists to gain legal status.
Republicans also worry about the long-term effect the bill would have on the country's budget, even though the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill would cut the deficit by 2.2 billion dollars over the next 10 years.
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