Grand Rapids Reporter

WASHINGTON, DC– On May 11, U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (MI-03) voted against H.R. 2, the House Republicans’ extreme immigration bill. While Republicans continue to put forward counterproductive legislation that will not address this urgent, ongoing problem, Rep. Scholten is urging bipartisan action.

“West Michiganders have been calling on Congress to craft comprehensive immigration reform for years because we know this is a national security issue, an economic issue, and a humanitarian issue. This bill is not the reform we need. I’ve already been working with Republicans and Democrats on solutions: we need to create a commonsense plan that protects our borders, strengthens our workforce, provides sufficient pathways to citizenship, and addresses the root causes of migration. The only way to move us forward on secure and humane immigration reform is bipartisan action. I call on my colleagues to come to the table and have that discussion.”

In response to the needs shared by West Michigan farmers at a roundtable she held in April, Congresswoman Scholten voted to support amendments that would bolster our agricultural workforce and crack down on drug trafficking. Recognizing labor shortages across multiple industries, she also introduced an amendment that would allow humanitarian parole recipients to accept employment to alleviate burdens on the West Michigan workforce. The amendment was not included by Republican Leadership in the final bill.

Original source can be found here.