White House Meeting Today on Immigration Reform

By Jerry Kammer and Jerry Kammer on March 8, 2010

President Obama is due to meet today with the two senators who have been trying to plot a legislative course to an immigration reform bill, and the National Council of La Raza is impatient for clear signs of movement.

"If the meeting is just to 'hear more,' it's not going to cut it," Clarissa Martinez of La Raza said in Huffington Post. Martinez wants a clear sign of movement from Obama's meeting with Sens. Charles Schumer and Lindsey Graham.

"With the Congressional legislative runway getting crowded and time running out before the November elections, it is time to land this plane," said Martinez. "Monday's meeting must be followed by a clear, bipartisan proposal and a firm timeline for Senate action. Anything less will be regarded as more stalling by the tens of thousands coming to DC to march in two weeks."

Martinez was referring to a March 21 demonstration intended to raise the pressure for congressional and White House action, despite the widespread feeling in political circles that there is little chance for substantive action on a bill this year.

In a report from the White House on Friday, Univision reporter Lourdes Meluza said that while presidential advisers "are aware of the difficulty of the political challenge, nevertheless they say the president hasn't moved back from his intention to advance this project."

In that report, White House adviser -- and former NCLR official -- Cecilia Munoz said the Obama administration is asking that Schumer and Graham produce specific proposal in the form of an immigration reform bill.

Topics: UnidosUS