Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked the DREAM Act. This legislation would have offered a path to legalization to immigrant minors who were brought to our country by their undocumented parents. DREAM Act applicants would have obtained conditional status only if they met certain requirements, such as arriving in the U.S. at age 15 or younger, living in the U.S. for 5 years before the bill’s enactment, earning a high school degree or being admitted to an institution of higher learning:
"The DREAM Act is about our nation’s cherished values of equality and opportunity. The DREAM Act would have strengthened our military readiness and national competitiveness. And it is the right thing to do. That is why this legislation passed the House with bipartisan support.
“Though disappointed by the result of today’s DREAM Act vote in the Senate, we are not deterred in our determination to continue advocating for this critical legislation. We will keep fighting to fulfill our pledge to the hundreds of thousands of young people who call our nation home and strive to take part in the American dream.
“We will continue to work to advance comprehensive immigration reform that includes the DREAM Act.”
Pelosi Statement on Senate Failure to Advance the DREAM Act
December 18, 2010
