Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced yesterday that he would bring the DREAM Act forward as a stand-alone piece of legislation before the close of the 111th Congress.
Reiterating his support for the DREAM Act, which provides a path to citizenship for young people who enter the U.S. with their parents, Senator Reid told POLITICO:
"The students who earn legal status through the DREAM Act will make our country more competitive economically, spurring job creation, contributing to our tax base and strengthening communities."
The DREAM Act was first introduced to Congress in 2001 and has previously been supported by several sitting Republican senators. But when the bill was brought up earlier in the year, every Republican Senator voted against it.
Echoing President Obama's call for a bipartisan effort to pass this key piece of immigration reform, Senator Reid said:
"Last time we sought to bring up this bill, all Republicans blocked our effort, even though many have been supporters of the DREAM Act in the past. I hope that our Republican colleagues will join me, Sen. Durbin, and Democrats in passing this important piece of legislation, now that we have a stand-alone version and that political season is over."