Statement on Senate Passage of Immigration Reform Legislation

I commend the Senate for passing bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform before the Memorial Day deadline set by its leaders. I appreciate the hard work of the leadership and Senators on both sides of the aisle. An effective immigration reform bill will protect our borders, hold employers to account for the workers they hire, create a temporary-worker program to take pressure off our border and meet the needs of our growing economy, address the issue of the millions of illegal immigrants already in our country, and honor America's great tradition of the melting pot. The House of Representatives began a national dialog by passing an immigration bill lastyear. Now that the Senate has acted, I look forward to working together with both the House of Representatives and the Senate to produce a bill for me to sign into law.