First Immigration Bill of 2009 Proposed in U.S. Senate
Posted Jan 16, 2009
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The first immigration reform bill of 2009 was proposed by a group of U.S. senators on January 6, 2009. All of the sponsoring senators are members of the Democratic Party. Senate Bill 9, also called the Stronger Economy, Stronger Borders Act of 2009, is available online.
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Brief Proposal
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Senate Bill 9's stated purpose is to strengthen the U.S. economy, provide for additional border protection and security, add additional employment enforcement and reform and "rationalize" existing avenues for legal immigration. It simply states that legislation should be enacted to achieve these purposes. This bill does not set forth the details as to how these tasks will be accomplished. The bill does acknowledge the heritage of the United States as a nation of immigrants.
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Proposal is a Long Way from Becoming a Law
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Senate Bill 9 was placed on the Senate's calendar on January 7, 2009 and will be referred to a Senate Committee for review. While bills often progress through Congress at different speeds, there are many steps required before a bill can become a law. These steps are explained in our MurthyDotCom article, The Legislative Process - How a Bill Becomes a Law.
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This bill simply seems to be an attempt to set a tone and outline basic goals for upcoming immigration legislation. It appears to support the ongoing enforcement efforts, but to eschew an enforcement-only approach.
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Conclusion
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We at the Murthy Law Firm will continue to track the progress of significant immigration-related legislation and will update our readers on key legislative actions and developments. We are pleased that there is acknowledgement that something needs to be done about the immigration problems and delays in the United States. We are also please that there is reference to our being a nation of immigrants included in the Bill.