While immigration reform didn't become the defining topic of 2013 as some expected following last year's presidential election, the upcoming mid-term elections will likely bring the issue back to the forefront in 2014. In anticipation, a collection of Latino organizations have released a report card for Congress, grading the efforts of its members in pushing for reform.
[jump]Overall the Senate received a passing grade due to its passing of the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 this past April, with both Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson receiving a favorable “thumbs up” grade. The House of Representatives was given an “Incomplete” due to the it's inaction on the issue, with the only vote taken on the topic being an effort to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Kathy Castor received a “thumbs up”, the only Representative from the Tampa Bay area to receive one.
“We know the votes exist in the House to get this done, and the time for obstruction is over, said Hector Sanchez of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, one of the organizations involved, said of Congress in a press conference coinciding with the report's release.
“There is no way to avoid this issue because labor, faith and community groups are united, and we and our allies across the political spectrum are bringing the voice and action of our communities and constituents to the doorstep of Congress. Nobody is off the hook and even with a bill passed in the Senate, nobody is unfurling a ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner for any party or politician. The damage caused by our broken immigration system is too high, every single day, to keep wasting time on the road to reform.”
The collection of organizations, which include Hispanic Federation, Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, League of United Latin American Citizens, Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, NALEO Educational Fund, National Council of La Raza, Voto Latino, plan to continue grading all upcoming congressional votes related to immigration and relay the information to the Latino community.
“We have rallied, marched and pressed members of Congress for reform,” said Ben Monterroso of Mi Familia Vota Education Fund. “We will grow even stronger next year, and if members do not want F’s on their report cards that we deliver to the community, they need to deliver quickly and responsibly on comprehensive immigration reform”
The report is available here.