ON ANNIVERSARY OF SENATE IMMIGRATION BILL INTRODUCTION, HIRONO CALLS ON HOUSE TO TAKE ACTION

Senator Mazie K. Hirono released the following statement on the one-year anniversary of the introduction of S.744, the Senate’s immigration reform bill:

“One year ago, my Senate colleagues and I came together to introduce a comprehensive bill to address our broken immigration system, which we passed with overwhelming bipartisan support,” said Hirono. “Not only would our bill strengthen our economy and reduce the deficit, but it would also help real people by bringing millions of families out of the shadows, reunifying Filipino World War II veterans with their children and making DREAM Act students eligible for federal student aid. Each day House Republicans fail to act, families are suffering and are kept apart. It is past time for the House to take action on immigration reform.”

The U.S. Senate’s only immigrant, Hirono worked closely with colleagues to shape the bill in the Judiciary Committee and on the Senate floor, attaching 11 amendments to the bipartisan bill that passed the Senate in June. Since the bill’s passage, Hirono has worked to support immigration reform by introducing legislation such as the Investing IN States To Achieve Tuition Equity (IN-STATE) for DREAMers Act, which would make the University of Hawaii system eligible for federal funding as part of a new $750 million initiative to reward states like Hawaii that offer in-state tuition and need-based financial aid to qualified students regardless of immigration status.