Kennedy’s Death Puts Spotlight on Immigration Reform
August 31, 2009 – 9:57 am
With the death of Sen. Edward Kennedy at the age of 77, Democrats in Congress are hoping to push healthcare reform forward in his honor. The senator’s death serves as a reminder that Congress and President Obama have substantial work to do to accomplish another of Kennedy’s lifelong causes: immigration reform. In a column in Roll Call newspaper, editor Morton Kondracke writes that passing immigration reform would also be a fitting tribute to the stalwart liberal, who died Tuesday night. In the past, Kennedy changed US’ immigration system with Immigration Act of 1965, which eliminated the quota system and allowed immigration from Latin America and Asia to dramatically increase. In recent years, Kennedy worked with Republican Sen. John McCain to shape a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would have given an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants a path to citizenship. Immigration reform is sure to be a hot topic in 2010 regardless of its progress in Congress, as Sen. McCain will face scrutiny over the issue in his re-election campaign.
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