Congressman Krishnamoorthi Urges Senate To Pass Build Back Better Act With Provisions He Championed To Address Green Card Backlog

SCHAUMBURG, IL - Today, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi issued the following statement in response to ongoing negotiations on the Senate passage of the Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376) which the House of Representatives passed one week ago:

"As my colleagues in the Senate continue to review the text of the Build Back Better Act we passed through the House of Representatives last week, I urge them to move quickly to pass this transformational legislation while including the provisions I spearheaded to strengthen our economy by addressing the green card backlog that currently affects more than 1.2 million high-skilled workers. Our nation has always benefited from welcoming talented minds from across the world to build lives, start businesses, and create jobs here. The robust immigration reforms of the BBB Act will help us continue that truly American tradition.

At the same time, every Member of Congress knows the heartbreaking stories of high-skilled workers and their families who have had to face decades-long green card queues and children forced to self-deport. Last week in the House, we voted to reform that system and help these families. The Senate must move quickly to pass the entire Build Back Better Act to bring the relief that so many families in our country need."

The version of the Build Back Better Act that the House approved on November 19th amends the Immigration and Nationality Act registry cut-off date to allow individuals who entered the U.S. prior to January 1, 2010 to apply for green cards while recapturing family-sponsored and employment-based green cards unused since 1992. The bill also allows individuals with approved immigrant petitions to file for adjustment of status early upon payment of a fee and exempts family-sponsored and employment-based applicants from numerical limits on visas for an additional fee.

Congressman Krishnamoorthi has long been a champion of reforming the immigration system for high-skilled immigrants. He is an original cosponsor of the Equal Access to Green Cards for Legal Employment (EAGLE) Act (H.R. 3648) and, along with Representatives Kathy Manning and Deborah Ross, led 40 Members of Congress in sending a letter to Speaker Pelosi and Leader Chuck Schumer on the importance of addressing the employment-based green card backlog in the Build Back Better Act. The Build Back Better Act legislation released today was a compromise framework agreed to by the House, Senate, and the White House and still requires final passage in both Chambers of Congress.