President Obama on the DREAM Act: "My Administration Will Not Give Up"
Posted by Kori Schulman on December 18, 2010 at 12:53 PM EST
Following a disappointing vote in the Senate, President Obama released the following statement on the DREAM
act:
In an incredibly disappointing vote today, a minority of Senators prevented the Senate from doing
what most Americans understand is best for the country. As I said last week, when the House passed
the DREAM Act, it is not only the right thing to do for talented young people who seek to serve a
country they know as their own, it is the right thing for the United States of America. Our nation is
enriched by their talents and would benefit from the success of their efforts. The DREAM Act is
important to our economic competitiveness, military readiness, and law enforcement efforts. And as
the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office reported, the DREAM Act would cut the deficit by $2.2
billion over the next 10 years. There was simply no reason not to pass this important legislation.
It is disappointing that common sense did not prevail today. But my administration will not give up on
the DREAM Act, or on the important business of fixing our broken immigration system. The American
people deserve a serious debate on immigration, and it’s time to take the polarizing rhetoric off our
national stage.
I thank Senators Durbin, Reid, and Menendez for their tireless efforts. Moving forward, my
administration will continue to do everything we can to fix our nation’s broken immigration system so
that we can provide lasting and dedicated resources for our border security while at the same time
restoring responsibility and accountability to the system at every level.