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As many probably know, a huge milestone was reached when the Immigration Reform Bill passed the Senate with flying colors (68-32). However, the real test is yet to start: The GOP controlled House of Representatives and their leader, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio). Boehner is one of the strongest critics of the current bill that was passed in the Senate, and has explicitly said that he won't send any bill to the House floor unless it has significant support from his Republican colleagues in the House (the Hassert Rule). Moreover, he has stated that the Senate Bill 'needs a lot of work,' and he would rather vote on an immigration bill that has been developed in the House. This guy is a tough cookie with a lot of influence in the House, so the more Republicans that jump on board the bill before they reconvene on July 10, the better. On this date (July 10), GOP members of the House will meet to discuss what options are available to them and how to proceed. Below are a couple things to be aware of before the House opens the floor for Immigration Reform: GOP Members of the House are against a pathway citizenship (at least the majority of them) The House wants to offer both a comprehensive bill and single-item bills Some House GOP members have not even read the Senate Bill All things considered, there is significant pressure on Congress to overhaul the immigration system. Given the unpopular finger-pointing that takes place whenever there is either a gridlock in congress, or when a bill fails to pass because of increased disagreement among the voting parties, citizens (I mean everyone, even you) and voters are demanding that elected representatives get the job done. Also, mid-term congressional elections are fast approaching (2014), and the GOP has been under increased scrutiny because of the perceived notion that Republicans are to blame when something is not done in Washington. In addition, not only do they want to either have significant control of the House or Senate, they also want to be strong contenders for the 2016 Presidential Election and increase their popularity among Latino voters. Let us hope for the best and keep supporting those individuals that are constantly in the front lines fighting for the rest of us. Further reading: http://www.policymic.com/articles/51979/immigration-reform-2013-house-gop-now-control-the-game-but-what-they-will-do-is-anybody-s-guess http://www.voanews.com/content/us-immigration-reform-bill-facing-tough-republican-opposition-in-house/1691559.html http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2013/06/28/immigration-bill-test-for-house-republicans/ http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/28/19188789-congress-all-eyes-on-the-gop-controlled-house-now-on-immigration?lite JULY 10!

Last month the STEM bill passed in the house; 245 votes to 139. Stem is an immigration bill that would grant green cards for up to 55,000 foreign-born, US-trained graduates every year.The bill is now up for a vote in the Senate, if we attach the DREAM Act to it we could potentially get the DREAM Act this year. In order to get DREAM attached we need Senator Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, and Senator Durbin, the author of the DREAM Act to push to attach it. Please join us in making a call to these two great leaders and asking them to take a final stand for the DREAM Act! Call Senator Reid @ 202-224-3542 Call Senator Durbin @ 202-224-2152 You can also talk to your local state representative to inform them to pass the Act! http://action.dreamactivist.org/dreamstem/

Last month the STEM bill passed in the house; 245 votes to 139. Stem is an immigration bill that would grant green cards for up to 55,000 foreign-born, US-trained graduates every year.The bill is now up for a vote in the Senate, if we attach the DREAM Act to it we could potentially get the DREAM Act this year. In order to get DREAM attached we need Senator Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, and Senator Durbin, the author of the DREAM Act to push to attach it. Please join us in making a call to these two great leaders and asking them to take a final stand for the DREAM Act! Call Senator Reid @ 202-224-3542 Call Senator Durbin @ 202-224-2152 http://action.dreamactivist.org/dreamstem/