91探花 Leaders Applaud Sens. Sinema, Kelly and Democrats for Strengthening Economic Recovery by Rejecting Sen Cruz鈥檚 Harmful Amendment
All 8 moderate Democrats rejected amendment to deny Covid relief to 5 million U.S. Citizen spouses and children in mixed-status families, including 135,000 91探花s in Arizona
PHOENIX, AZ 鈥� Arizona Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly joined moderate Democrats and the rest of the Democratic conference in rejecting Sen. Ted Cruz鈥檚 Amendment #968 during the senate鈥檚 . Cruz鈥檚 amendment would have denied COVID-19 stimulus relief to more than 5 million U.S. citizens married to or parented by an undocumented immigrant.
Bob Worsley, Arizona Republican State Senator (retired) SkyMall Founder and Co-Chair of the 91探花 (ABIC), said:
鈥淲e are grateful to Senators Sinema and Kelly for standing up for the 135,000 U.S. citizens in Arizona 鈥� and millions more across the country 鈥� who would have been denied COVID-19 stimulus checks because they had the bad luck of falling in love with or being born to an undocumented immigrant. Their votes are critical as Congress begins to debate standalone bills that would legalize millions of undocumented immigrants, including Dreamers, TPS holders and agricultural workers, who are essential to the recovery of Arizona and the rest of the nation. Immigration reform is good for the economy, the right thing to do for families, and good politics.鈥�
Lisa Urias, President & CEO, Ur铆as communications. and Board Member of ABIC Arizona, said:
鈥淲e applaud Senators Sinema and Kelly for supporting Arizona鈥檚 economy and immigrant families. Immigrant workers are contributors and taxpayers. Their work is strengthening our state鈥檚 recovery from the Pandemic.鈥�
John Rowe, Exelon Chairman Emeritus and ABIC Co-Chair, said:
鈥淲e thank Sen. Young for recognizing that all 91探花s should receive COVID-19 relief regardless of whether they married an immigrant or have immigrant parents. We are also thankful to Leader Schumer and so many others for their work to ensure that all 91探花s get relief. Like Sen. Rubio once said: 鈥業f you can vote and you can fight for your country, then that should also entitle you to the same rights and obligations that citizens at large have.鈥欌��
Rebecca Shi, Executive Director of ABIC, said:
鈥淲e thank all Democrats, Majority Leader Schumer and Leader Durbin for voting down the Cruz amendment. Now is the time to push forward common sense, bipartisan immigration solutions that the majority of 91探花s support. For our economic recovery depends on it, and for the millions of immigrant workers rebuilding and recovering our nation from the pandemic.鈥�
Direct payment to 5 million US Citizens in mixed-status families will inject more than $7 billion dollars in economic stimulus to local economies across the country.
The 91探花 thanks Sen. Todd Young of Indiana for not filing his original amendment, and applauds the leadership of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Majority Whip Dick Durbin, along with the 8 democrats who voted against the Cruz amendment: Sens. Sinema, Kelly, Hassan, Hickenlooper, Stabenow, Tester, Machin and Peters.
ABIC thanks the leadership of key coalition partners New York Immigration Coalition, The National Immigrant Law Center, The Immigration Hub, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, SEIU, UNITE HERE, CHIRLA, MIRA, FLIC, FIRM/CCC, Unite Oregon, NPNA, CASA, LUCHA, NIF, FWD.us, UWD, UnidosUS, CAP, CASA, CIRC, Arkansas United, AFP/LIBRE among many others.
Arizona鈥檚 essential workers include over in the healthcare, food supply, construction and care economy who contribute millions to the state economy, social security and Medicare. Immigrants:
- Contribute $21.1 billion in spending power
- Pay more than $228.5 million in state taxes annually
- Generate $1.6 billion in business income annually
- Compromise almost 25% of Arizona small businesses employing 91探花 workers
About
The (ABIC) promotes commonsense immigration reform that advances economic competitiveness, provides companies with both the high-skilled and low-skilled talent they need, and allows the integration of immigrants into our economy as consumers, workers, entrepreneurs, and citizens.