Today, 41 U.S. Senators obstructed the passage of the Dream Act and sent a message to the rest of the world that politics trumps fundamental American principles of fairness, opportunity, and justice. They rejected bipartisan legislation that, had it been passed, would have provided undocumented young women and men who were brought to the U.S. as young children with a pathway to U.S. citizenship if they attend college or perform military service. Every Republican Senator, except Senator Lugar, as well as Democratic Senators Max Baucus, Kay Hagan, Ben Nelson, Mark Pyror, and Jon Tester walked away from their responsibilities to lead.
The unique fabric of American society—hard work, entrepreneurship, loyalty to country, ingenuity and invention—stitched together by generations of immigrants will continue to endure regardless of this disheartening vote. The dreams of young people will not be checked, and the UFCW will continue fight for a broad and bipartisan coalition to restore the American Dream and pass the Dream Act.
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents more than 1.3 million workers, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries. The UFCW protects the rights of workers and strengthens America's middle class by fighting for living wages, retirement security, safe working conditions, health care and immigration reform, and the right to unionize so that working men and women and their families can realize he American Dream. For more information about the UFCW's effort to protect workers' rights and strengthen America's middle class.
Contacts:
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union
Jim
Papian, 202-255-3373
press@ufcw.org