June 5, 2008

This weekend, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) will lead a Senate delegation to Monterrey, Mexico for the annual Mexico-U.S. Interparliamentary Group Meeting. The group will meet with their Mexican counterparts to discuss a wide range of bilateral issues including immigration, trade, border security, and ways to encourage cooperation across the border. Dodd, who is the longtime Chairman of the Senate Interparliamentary Group, will deliver remarks at the meeting’s opening ceremony on Saturday. 

January 24, 2008

Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Congressman John Lewis, along with more than a dozen Senate colleagues, introduced the Civil Rights Act of 2008, which will strengthen accountability when civil rights and workers’ rights are violated.

 

Recent court decisions have weakened America’s civil rights laws in ways that Congress never intended.  This legislation will ensure accountability for violations of our civil rights and fair labor laws and give individuals the right to challenge practices that have unjustified discriminatory effect based on race, color, national origin, disability, age or gender. It also gives students the same protection from harassment in school that workers have on the job, and holds employers fully accountable for age discrimination and discrimination against our men and women in the armed services.

June 28, 2007

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today issued the following statement after the Senate voted to defeat the motion to invoke cloture on S. 1639, the Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Reform Act of 2007:

 

“I am deeply disappointed that the Senate voted against the motion to invoke cloture on S. 1639.  With over 12 million undocumented workers in America, a dysfunctional immigration system, and broken borders, our country is facing an immigration crisis that undermines the rule of law, divides families and threatens our national security. The American people expected this Congress to find a workable and comprehensive solution to resolve this crisis. This bill was far from perfect, especially in terms of the guest worker program and family unification. But it offered us an opportunity to move beyond the status quo and fix some of these problems including by investing billions of dollars in border security and practically dealing with the undocumented population.  Moreover, by proceeding with the bill and potentially going to conference with the House, we would have had a further opportunity to address some of its shortcomings.  Instead, with the bill’s defeat, our nation is less secure, our immigration crisis will only fester and deepen, and we have reverted to a silent form of amnesty by doing absolutely nothing. The President has spoken time and again of the importance of achieving comprehensive immigration reform. This was meant to be his signature domestic issue. As this vote made crystal clear today, he failed to deliver as did his party.  The President’s inability to lead on this issue, as on Iraq, has once again come at an enormous cost to this nation.”

June 27, 2007

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today issued the following statement after the Senate voted to table his amendment to S. 1639, the Immigration Reform bill currently being considered by the Senate.  The amendment would have helped unite parents with their children who are U.S. citizens by increasing the annual cap on green cards for parents, extending the duration of the new restrictive parent visitor visa program proposed in S. 1639, and ensuring that penalties imposed on overstays of the visa are not unfairly applied to others.

Letter to DHS Secretary Asks for Clarification on Timing and Conduct of Action

June 11, 2007

Three Connecticut lawmakers Monday asked Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff for clarification about the way in which a recent immigration raid in New Haven was conducted, as well as its timing.

May 24, 2007

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today continued his longstanding legacy of advocating for children and families when he introduced an amendment to S. 1348, the Immigration Reform bill currently being debated by the Senate.  The Dodd amendment unites parents with their children who are U.S. citizens by increasing the annual cap on green cards for parents, extending the duration of the parent visitor visa proposed in S. 1348, and ensuring that penalties imposed on overstays of the visa are not unfairly applied to others.  

April 9, 2007

"I agree with the President's stated goal of achieving comprehensive immigration reform this year. With over 12 million undocumented workers in our country, the American people expect Congress and this administration to find a workable solution to this longstanding problem - one that protects American jobs and security while providing a pathway to earned citizenship for undocumented workers, many of whom play an important role in our economy. Unfortunately, last year, efforts to pass an immigration reform bill were blocked by the Republican-controlled House. In this Congress, we have an opportunity and an obligation to tackle this issue head-on on a bi-partisan basis. But without Presidential leadership, comprehensive reform will not be possible. Hopefully, this time the President will have the courage to stand up to members of his own party who fought against reform last year."

October 3, 2006

Washington – While addressing the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute yesterday, Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) challenged members to change conditions in the nation today that continue to lead to a disparity among children born in different socio-economic groups.

“My daughters will judge their father, just as your children and grandchildren will judge you. What did you do at the outset of the 21^st century when you saw that the nation was moving in the wrong direction?” Dodd asked. “There are too many children in foster care and 200,000 children last June [who] graduated from high school, were accepted into college, and could not go because they lacked the financial resources. In America, you ought never be denied a higher education because of a lack of financial resources.”

September 20, 2006

“America's greatest asset is its people, and what makes the American population unlike any other country's is our diversity. No other nation draws strength from so many different cultures, and the American population is a mosaic of the world's many nationalities. Through time, the traditions from these many nations have become part of our own society, enriching our national culture. But our Nation would not be nearly as strong without the contributions of Americans who are of Hispanic descent. In recognition of these contributions, our Nation is currently celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.