The President recently commended the Senate Judiciary Committee for approving a bipartisan immigration reform check proposal – the committee has spent several weeks debating the language which would be included in the bill and, although not every politician was able to get exactly what they wanted, the President remains hopeful that immigration reform is right around the corner.
Of course, the critics are saying otherwise.
The President’s Role
After both the Senate and the House of Representatives can come up with a full and final check for immigration reform, the bill is sent to the President’s desk for a signature. If the President affixes his signature to the bill, it becomes law. If the President refuses to sign the bill or vetoes the bill altogether, then it can be sent back to the legislative branch for another vote to override the President’s decision, but it would need the support of 2/3rds of Congress. If the bill is unable to garner the support of 2/3rds of the legislative branch, then the bill dies.
So far, only the Senate has a final version of a bill which it will be voting on soon – it is unsure whether or not the House will vote on the same check or draft one of its own. Both chambers of Congress must agree on a full and final bill before a bill can go to the President to be signed into law.
The Mood in the Senate
Overall, the Senate seems pleased that it has been able to negotiate a bipartisan deal for immigration reform, and so do many members of the general public. It was reported that when the Senate Judiciary Committee finalized their version of the check which will be sent to the rest of the Senate for a vote, the Senate chamber erupted with cheer, and many members of the crowd began chanting “Si se puede,” the famous battle cry of famed labor organizer Cesar Chavez.
Assuming that the bill is able to pass a Senate vote, which many believe that it will, it remains unknown how the House of Representatives will react. Some members of the House, which maintains a Republican majority, have already expressed their own doubts over whether or not the Senate’s check will be able to withstand the scrutiny of the House, with many certain that the bill will be squashed.
Speculation Isn’t News
It’s easy for critics to speculate on which direction the Senate and the House will take with progress toward immigration reform, but until a check is signed into law by the President or passed into law by a 2/3rd Congressional majority, speculation remains nothing more than words. Immigrants currently living in the country are advised by legal professionals to avoid misinterpretations of speculation for news.
For the most accurate and up to date information on the progress of immigration reform, immigrants should only seek the advice of an experienced immigration attorney, who studies and practices the very specific field of immigration law, for information regarding their status and immigration reform in general.
