Washington, D.C. - Today Representative Dina Titus of Nevada’s First Congressional District, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, called on the Senate to overrule the Parliamentarian and include a pathway to citizenship as part of the budget reconciliation package. 

Providing a pathway to citizenship is an investment in the economy and our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. An estimated 5.2 million undocumented people work in essential jobs, including agriculture, food service production, transportation, and healthcare. Long taken for granted, these positions became even more critical during the pandemic as undocumented workers kept the country functioning.

“Immigrants have been waiting decades for a comprehensive solution that recognizes their humanity and immeasurable contributions to our community,” said Congresswoman Titus. “Today I called on the Senate’s Presiding Officer to exercise authority to overrule the Parliamentarian and provide a pathway to citizenship in reconciliation.”

Providing permanent legal status would allow millions of workers to come out of the shadows and fully contribute to the economy. In Nevada’s First Congressional District, granting U.S. citizenship to undocumented essential workers, Dreamers, farmworkers, and TPS holders would generate $2.1 billion in economic revenue.