Received this e-mail today from Senator Dick Durbin (D. IL) regarding immigration reform:
When I first heard Republican Congressman Steve King's despicable comments about "DREAMers", I was shocked.
If you haven't heard, King very publicly suggested that young people who were brought to our country as infants and children -- the DREAMers -- are more often drug smugglers or petty criminals than hardworking students. Shameless.
Republican leaders quickly condemned Steve King's remarks. Speaker Boehner called them "hateful." Majority Leader Cantor called them "inexcusable."
But these are the same two leaders who last month allowed a vote on Steve King’s bill to defund the Deferred Action program that grants temporary status to DREAMers -- a bill that would instead subject DREAMers to deportation. All but six Republicans voted for the measure.
If Steve King's anti-immigrant, anti-DREAM Act bill can get a vote in the House, then our Senate-approved comprehensive immigration bill deserves a vote too.
Click here to sign my petition telling Speaker Boehner: You gave hate a vote, now give hope a vote. Bring the Senate's bipartisan immigration bill to a vote:
http://action.dickdurbin.com/...
On Friday, I went to Steve King's district with Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, DREAMers, and community leaders, and held a public forum on immigration reform.
Over 200 of Steve King's own constituents came out to support the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform.
Their presence showed that Steve King was wrong on DREAMers and wrong on Iowa -- confirming polls showing 79% support for comprehensive immigration reform in King's district, and 70% GOP support for a path to citizenship.
Click here to sign my petition telling Speaker Boehner that actions speak louder than words and to bring the Senate's bipartisan immigration bill to a vote:
http://action.dickdurbin.com/...
Please help me keep the pressure on House Republicans. Join me in telling Speaker Boehner that condemning hateful remarks isn't enough if you allow a vote on hateful legislation. Actions speak louder than words.
If Steve King got his vote, we should get ours.
Click here to sign my petition to Speaker Boehner:
http://action.dickdurbin.com/...
Thank you,
Dick Durbin
U.S. Senator
You can click here to sign Durbin's petition:
http://action.dickdurbin.com/...
Off topic, Durbin was able to make this happen before the recess:
https://www.stlbeacon.org/...
Shortly before Congress went into its summer recess last week, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., added a provision to the 2014 defense spending bill that would require the National Security Agency (NSA) to disclose more information about its phone-data surveillance programs, which caused a national furor after details were leaked in June.
“I believe the government can obtain the information it needs to combat terrorism in a far more targeted manner, rather than casting a dragnet for information about millions of innocent Americans,” said Durbin
The senior Illinois senator chairs both the Senate's defense appropriations subcommittee and a Judiciary panel on the constitution. For years, he has called for years for limits on data collection, which Congress had approved in the wake of the 2011 terror attacks.
Durbin’s measure – which would require the NSA to disclose the number of phone records it has collected through its bulk surveillance program as well as how many records were reviewed by the NSA – reflected what appears to be growing skepticism in Congress about the agency’s sweeping counterterror program that collects and stores the phone records of millions of Americans. - St. Louis Beacon, 8/6/13
If you would like information, please contact Senator Durbin's office:
http://www.durbin.senate.gov/...