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Napa Valley Patch -- Thompson Co-Authors Immigration Reform Bill

October 9, 2013
News Articles

By Keri Brenner

U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, has co-authored an immigration reform bill that is now moving through a House committee.

The bill, H.R. 15, is titled "Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act."

It is the House version of the bipartisan immigration reform bill passed by the Senate, Thompson said.

“The Senate has passed a tough, fair, bipartisan comprehensive reform bill that strengthens our borders and offers an earned pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants already living, working and raising families here," Thompson added. "It's time the House did the same.”
This House bill contains the same provisions from the bipartisan Senate-passed bill (S. 744) that protect workers, unite families, and offer immigrants an earned pathway to citizenship.

It also contains the same provisions from the bipartisan Senate-passed bill that reform our visa programs and the enforcement of immigration laws.
The only difference between the House and Senate bills is that the House bill replaces the Senate's border security provision with a provision unanimously passed by the House Committee on Homeland Security in May.

While the Senate bill spelled out a specific border security plan, the House legislation simply directs the Department of Homeland Security to develop a strategic plan to secure the border which will then be approved by Congress.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, enactment of the bipartisan Senate-passed comprehensive immigration reform bill would reduce the deficit by $850 billion.

The CBO also estimates that the Senate-passed bill would increase economic growth by 3.3 percent in 2023 and 5.4 percent in 2033.

The legislation has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Issues:Immigration Reform