My understanding is. at an appropriate time we will have an opportunity to actually vote on these amendments. Madam President. I rise to offer an amendment to the immigration bill with my good friend from New Jersey. Senator MENENDEZ. that relates to the parents of U.S. citizens. My amendment is simple in what it proposes but enormously important in what it seeks to accomplish. It prevents this bill from dividing millions of American families by making it easier for U.S. citizens and their parents to unite. As currently written. this bill weakens the principle of family reunification in a way that is harmful to our nation and unfair to our fellow citizens. Under current law. parents are defined as immediate relatives and exempt from green card caps. Yet this bill drastically and irresponsibly excludes parents from the nuclear family and subjects them to excessively low green card caps and an overly restrictive visa program. This amendment rights this wrong by increasing the new annual cap on green cards for parents of U.S. citizens-. extending the duration of the parent visitor visa. and ensuring that penalties imposed on overstays are not borne collectively. The debate on this provision goes to the heart of how a family is defined in America. For millions of American citizens. parents are not distant relatives but absolutely vital members of the nuclear family who play a critical role. be it as grandparents providing care for their grandchildren while their parents are at work or as sources of strength and support for their bereaved or single children.
Keywords matched
visa family reunification green card green cards immigration