Gutierrez Praises Business and Republican Leaders Who Make Sense on Immigration Reform

Mayor Bloomberg, Rupert Murdoch Testify Before House Subcommittee on Immigration and the Economy

Media Contact: Douglas Rivlin (202) 225-8203

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Washington, DC) – Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-IL) had the opportunity today to question New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and News Corporation (Fox, Wall Street Journal) Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch on the role of immigrants in the American economy. As a Member of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law, Rep. Gutierrez welcomed the opportunity to highlight business, conservative, and Republican leading voices on the need for comprehensive immigration reform and addressed Mayor Bloomberg and Mr. Murdoch as "partners" in the fight for immigration reform.

Mayor Bloomberg came to meet with Rep. Gutierrez about immigration reform at his Chicago office over the Martin Luther King holiday this year and they have talked on a number of occasions since then. They discussed strategies to broaden the coalition fighting for reform and to energize the majority of Republicans who favor the comprehensive approach to the deportation-only approach.

"Mayor Bloomberg and I have had a chance to discuss immigration reform at length and he is taking on a national leadership role on the issue," Rep. Gutierrez said. "As a Mayor, a business leader, and a Republican, he has the ability to exert a great deal of influence on the immigration debate and to make it less partisan and divisive and to get us closer to a solution."

Rep. Gutierrez is also a regular guest on the Fox News Channel and Fox Business Channel, both as the leading voice for immigration reform in the U.S. Congress and as Chair of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit. Mr. Murdoch has joined Mayor Bloomberg as a Republican and business leader speaking out in support of comprehensive immigration reform, even if that means paying higher wages to all workers across the board.

"Mr. Murdoch is an employer, a very influential conservative, and an immigrant citizen himself, so his voice in support of comprehensive immigration reform is very, very welcome," Rep. Gutierrez said. "I go on Fox News all the time and I wish Mr. Murdoch could go on with me sometime so that his own message on immigration could reach his considerable audience."

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