Labor Secretary Hilda Solis and Eliseo Medina of the Service Employees International Union say the are still hopeful for an immigration reform bill this year and are calling for public efforts to push Congress to move ahead with that effort. In interviews broadcast on Sunday's Al Punto program on the Spanish-language Univision network, they told newsman Jorge Ramos that they are convinced that President Obama remains committed to the reform, even though he gave scant attention to the issue in last week's State of the Union Address.
"The president is very focused on different issues, but he's also focusing his efforts on a change in immigration," Solis said in an interview on the Sunday morning news show, Al Punto. She said she has been working with congressional committees to prepare a bipartisan bill. "I want to tell the community that they have to help us to push Republicans" to join in the effort, said Solis. "And if it can't be done, were going to say we did everything possible to push for this," she said. She added that the president continues to fight for the reform.
Said Eliseo Medina: "I think the president is committed, Jorge. We are committed. We are going to continue fighting until the last minute so that there is immigration reform this year." Medina provided an address to which viewers could send a text message for information on how to get involved in the effort.