releases: https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-and-heitkamp-urge-congressional-leaders-to-work-together-pass-meaningful-immigration-reform
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.donnelly.senate.gov/newsroom/press/donnelly-and-heitkamp-urge-congressional-leaders-to-work-together-pass-meaningful-immigration-reform | Donnelly and Heitkamp Urge Congressional Leaders to Work Together, Pass Meaningful Immigration Reform | 2014-12-18 | 2014 | 2014-12 | Democrat | House | IN | Joe Donnelly | D000607 | www.donnelly.senate.gov | legacy | Donnelly and Heitkamp Urge Congressional Leaders to Work Together, Pass Meaningful Immigration Reform Thursday, December 18, 2014 Washington, D.C.—U.S. Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) sent a letter to House and Senate leadership urging them to work together to pass meaningful immigration reform. The senators wrote, “…we disagree with the President’s decision to act unilaterally to make such significant policy changes in this area and have expressed concern about the impact this action may have on the potential for comprehensive immigration reform.” They went on to say, “The way to fix our immigration system is for Congress to pass bipartisan, common sense legislation. We encourage you to reconsider the Senate-passed comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next Congress or use it as a starting point for a future compromise.” Full text of the letter follows. To see the signed letter, click here. December 17, 2014 Dear Leader Reid, Leader McConnell, Speaker Boehner, and Minority Leader Pelosi, Last month, President Obama announced several executive actions intended to address a number of important issues with our nation’s current immigration system. We agree that our immigration system is broken and in need of reform. As members of the United States Senate, however, we disagree with the President’s decision to act unilaterally to make such significant policy changes in this area and have expressed concern about the impact this action may have on the potential for comprehensive immigration reform. The way to fix our immigration system is for Congress to pass bipartisan, common sense legislation. By enacting legislation we can change the law to adequately secure our borders, modernize our visa system, and permanently address the millions of undocumented immigrants who are currently living in our country. To date, Congress has failed to do its job. Despite bipartisan support for action in both chambers and the passage of bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate, the House failed to address this issue. We encourage you to reconsider the Senate-passed comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next Congress or use it as a starting point for a future compromise. As we prepare for the 114th Congress, we are committed to working in a constructive, bipartisan manner to enact long-term solutions to the challenges facing our country. We need a practical plan that strengthens our borders, addresses the systemic problems with our legal immigration policies, and provides a tough, fair process for those who want to earn the opportunity for citizenship. These are issues that deserve the utmost attention in the new Congress. In that spirit, we strongly urge you to work together to pass meaningful immigration reform. Sincerely, Joe Donnelly Heidi Heitkamp United States Senator United States Senator ### Press Contact donnelly_press@donnelly.senate.gov | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |