Press

Chairman Tim Kaine applauds the Senate for their swift action to pass the bipartisan tax bill, which "will be a victory not only for millions of working families, but also for American businesses and our economy as a whole - it will stoke demand, boost job growth, and strengthen our economic recovery."

The DREAM Act is a commonsense bill that has the backing of leaders from both sides of the aisle as well as the support of the President, the Defense Department, and the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Education. It is a bill that would strengthen the American military and economy by offering legal status to young undocumented immigrants who are willing to serve in the U.S. military or pursue higher education in order to get right with the law.

As a long-time civil rights lawyer, I know that some discriminatory government policies had an adverse effect on the hopes, dreams and business prospects for many African American and other minority entrepreneurs. That is why I am so proud that Congress this week took an important step toward righting a long-standing wrong against African American farmers who experienced documented discrimination at the hands of the USDA

“President Obama and Democrats in Congress are working hard to lay the foundation for a new century of American progress – one that includes all Americans. Today’s actions will ensure that the first Americans have the resources to lay their own foundations of prosperity and opportunity alongside more recent immigrants to this country."

There are very few actions more praiseworthy than the decision to put one’s life at risk in order to protect the safety of one’s fellow Americans as a member of our nation’s armed forces – so it is time that we end the discriminatory practice of preventing any individual brave enough to make that decision from serving in the military on the sole basis of their sexual orientation. The Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy is outdated and unjustified and it is time we consigned it to the dustbin of history.

The DREAM Act provides a path to citizenship for undocumented young people by creating the opportunity for them to obtain legal status by pursuing a higher education or by serving in the American military.

Chairman Tim Kaine urges Republicans in Congress to drop their partisan obstruction and join with Democrats to pass the DREAM Act—legislation that would strengthen our nation’s military and economy.

"Senate Republicans’ filibuster of the Defense Authorization Act is a cynical act – one that not only puts our national security at risk but also closes the door of opportunity for countless innocent young people, all so that Republicans can score political points. The Dream Act would quite simply give young people – people who have been raised to love America as their own country – the opportunity to earn American citizenship by serving in our armed forces or pursuing a higher education."