WSLC President Jeff Johnson in D.C. to push immigration reform

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 12, 2013) — As debate over immigration reform begins on the Senate floor, Washington State Labor Council President Jeff Johnson and other working family advocates are in Washington, D.C., today to lobby Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, as well as the rest of Washington State’s Congressional delegation, on comprehensive immigration reform. Labor leaders and their allies are calling for a bill that includes a roadmap to citizenship for the more than 11 million aspiring Americans and strong protections for all workers.

The lobby visits are part of a national lobby day involving working family advocates from across the country. The lobby visits coincide with a massive mobilization the week of June 10-14 encouraging millions of working families across the country to contact their members of Congress to demand fair and compassionate immigration reform.

“It is time for us to pass comprehensive immigration reform allowing 11 plus million to step out of the shadows and speak their voices in a country that they love and have supported with their hard work,” Johnson said. “Comprehensive immigration reform is important for our economy, important for protecting workers’ rights, and it is the just and moral thing to do. Our country was built with the blood, sweat, and tears of immigrant workers. Part of our greatness as a country comes from the opportunities we afford all those who work hard to build our economy and our communities.”

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday voted 84-15 to begin debate on the Gang of Eight’s immigration bill, The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, after Republicans failed to muster a filibuster. The legislation provides a road map to citizenship for aspiring Americans.

Earlier Tuesday, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka appeared alongside President Obama and other labor and business leaders at a press conference to rally support for the bill. Obama explained the importance of moving forward with the legislation:

Throughout our history, the promise we found in those who come from every corner of the globe has always been one of our greatest strengths. It’s kept our workforce vibrant and dynamic. It’s kept our businesses on the cutting edge. It’s helped build the greatest economic engine that the world has ever known.