BREAKING NEWS

I just wanted you to be among the first to know that the Senate has passed comprehensive immigration reform.

I just came off the Senate floor where my colleagues and I voted to modernize our nation’s broken immigration system and strengthen our borders. While this bill isn’t perfect, I believe it’s a significant improvement over the status quo and an important step forward for our nation.

One of the best things about this bill is that it was a textbook example of bipartisanship. From the “Gang of Eight” to the compromise brokered by Senators Corker and Hoeven to the 68 senators – more than two-thirds of the Senate – who voted yea, this historic legislation exemplifies how Republicans and Democrats can work together to get things done.

But now the House must act.

If the House of Representatives fails to introduce and pass legislation of their own, or pass our bipartisan Senate bill, comprehensive immigration reform can’t happen. I hope that the overwhelmingly bipartisan example we set here in the Senate will show the House that fixing a broken system is far too important to allow ideology or partisanship to get in the way.

Let’s celebrate this victory today, but remember that we still have work to do. I hope you’ll continue to share your thoughts going forward. After all, the time is now to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

You can read my full statement on the Senate passage of comprehensive immigration reform here.