*EPF412 11/02/00
Text: White House Urges Bipartisan Approach to Immigration Reform
(Chief of Staff John Podesta appeals to Senator Orrin Hatch) (620)
White House Chief of Staff John Podesta has written to Senator Orrin Hatch (Republican of Utah) to appeal for his help in "bridging the gap" between Republican and Democratic proposals on immigration reform.
Legislators on Capitol Hill have been sparring over immigration measures, with the Democrats favoring a broad package that would include amnesty for most undocumented immigrants who arrived in the United States before 1986. Republicans are pushing for a narrower measure designed to expedite the reunification process for recent immigrants and their families.
In a November 1 letter to Hatch, made public by the White House, Podesta described both measures as attempts to ensure greater fairness to prospective immigrants, adding: "I would like to work together to determine the best process for achieving our shared goal for this group of people."
Following is the White House text:
(begin text)
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
November 1, 2000
TEXT OF A LETTER FROM CHIEF OF STAFF JOHN PODESTA TO SENATOR ORRIN HATCH
November 1, 2000
The Honorable Orrin Hatch
Chairman, Judiciary Committee
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Mr. Chairman:
Thank you for your recent letter concerning immigration fairness. We continue to hope that in the spirit of bipartisanship we can work to achieve an amicable solution to the problems in our current immigration laws and practices. First, your proposal to provide relief for at least some individuals who would have likely benefited from the legalization program under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 goes some distance in trying to provide fairness. However, your approach provides relief only to the litigants in particular lawsuits and leaves similarly situated long-term individuals to fend for themselves. I would like to work together to determine the best process for achieving our shared goal for this group of people.
Second, your proposal to create a new "V" visa program for persons who have awaited an immigrant visa for a significant period of time would benefit only some of the individuals who would be protected under our proposal to reinstate section 245(i). Your plan provides insufficient relief to persons who would otherwise be eligible to adjust their status. I believe we can find a way of bridging the gap between our proposals.
Finally, the Administration seeks to eliminate disparate treatment under our immigration laws for individuals who fled civil unrest and human rights abuses in the 1980s and 1990s. However, your proposal provides no relief to these deserving individuals. While members of your party have explored a different approach for achieving much of the same goal, your staff has not been willing to discuss this alternate proposal with Administration officials. Perhaps you can pursue this idea. Surely your expressed desire to bring "fairness to our nation's immigration policy," should result in a serious consideration of this and any other proposal that seeks to treat similarly situated people the same.
As the foregoing indicates, there is actually more common ground than your recent letters suggest. Indeed, there is bipartisan support for H.R. 5062 that would provide relief for certain individuals affected by changes in the 1996 immigration law. Such efforts would go a long way to achieving fairness in our immigration system. The time for finding a solution is upon us, and we look forward to working with you to achieve that end. I look forward to hearing from you regarding next steps.
Sincerely,
John D. Podesta
Chief of Staff to the President
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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