What Senator Menendez Said About the Biden Immigration Bill That He’s Sponsoring

Jan 21, 2021
5:48 PM

On Thursday morning, Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) spoke at briefing sesion hosted by the American Business Immigration Coalition to share remarks about the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021, which President Biden presented to Congress on January 20.

At one point, Menendez said the the following, noting that the push to pass this act —being hailed by immigtant rights groups as the most progressive ever presented— will be tough: “I am under no illusions. I know from my time in the Gang of Eight that passing immigration reform through the Senate is a Herculean task. We must start this conversation from a position of strength to advance a bold vision for immigration reform.”

“To my friends in the business community, we need you to give it everything you got. We need you to make clear with your words, your actions, and your dollars that you will not lend your support to politicians or platforms that stoke fear, spread xenophobia and stymie prospects for reform,” Menendez continued. “To my friends in the advocacy and labor communities, we have our work cut out for us. We must make the case for immigration reform not just to immigrants and their families but to Americans from all walks of life. We must emphasize why immigration reform is in the moral, economic, and best interests of our country.”