GOP ignores majority, chooses reckless political grandstanding over common sense

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Secretary-Treasurer Eliseo Medina released the following statement after the DREAM Act failed to pass the Senate by a nearly party line vote of 55 to 41.

Today, GOP Senate leadership chose partisan politics over what is good for our nation and killed the dreams of hundreds of thousands of young immigrant valedictorians, future leaders, soldiers, doctors, engineers, and educators who represent what our country has always stood for."

The DREAM Act had garnered the support of 66 percent of American voters and had broad bi-partisan backing in Congress. It has been endorsed by leaders from the business, science, education, and faith communities. Yet after weeks of debate and compelling testimony from leaders across the political spectrum, Republicans made clear that reason and the will of the majority is no match for their reckless political grandstanding.

While Republican Senators including Richard Lugar (R-IN), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Bob Bennett (R-UT) stood up to the extreme vitriol of the Republican Party to support America's future economic strength and to support the bill, the rest of the GOP Senators voted to bloc to kill the popular measure.

"Today, Republican dreamkillers like George LeMieux (FL-R), Kay Bailey Hutchinson (TX-R), John Ensign (NV-R), and Scott Brown (MA-R) sent a clear sign to immigrant voters that they are squarely against them. And make no mistake - the growing immigrant electorates in these states will remember who voted against them next election day.

"America became a great country because we provided opportunities for hard-working newcomers and those willing to sacrifice for a dream. Today's Senate vote does more than squash the dreams of thousands of deserving young people, it fosters hopelessness and despair in a nation in desperate need of progress."

With 2.2 million members in Canada, the United States and Puerto Rico, SEIU is the fastest-growing union in the Americas. Focused on uniting workers in healthcare, public services and property services, SEIU members are winning better wages, healthcare and more secure jobs for our communities, while uniting their strength with their counterparts around the world to help ensure that workers--not just corporations and CEOs--benefit from today's global economy.

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