Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On Moving Forward With Infrastructure Legislation And Today’s Vote On Confirmation Of Ur Jaddou As Director Of The US Citizenship And Immigration Services

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor regarding today’s vote to confirm Ur Mendoza Jaddou as Director of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Senator Schumer also spoke on today’s procedural vote to move forward with the bipartisan infrastructure bill and his intention to offer the text of the bipartisan agreement as the substitute amendment. Senator Schumer also reiterated that the Senate remains on track to reach its goal of passing both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions before the start of the August recess. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Later today, we will vote on the nomination of Ur Mendoza Jaddou, of California, to be Director of the US Citizenship and Immigration Services. This is a department in desperate need of capable leadership after four chaotic years under the Trump Administration. The daughter of Mexican and Iraqi immigrants, Ms. Jaddou would be the first woman to ever lead the USCIS, and I am confident she has the skills, expertise, and experience to do the job well.

In a short time, the Senate will also take a procedural vote to move forward with the bipartisan infrastructure bill. I expect the vote will receive the same significant margin of support today as it did on Wednesday.

Once Senators agree to proceed with debate on the bill, it is my intention to offer the text of the bipartisan agreement as a substitute amendment—making it the base of the bill on the floor.

The Senate remains on track to reach our goal of passing both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a budget resolution, with reconciliation instructions, before the start of the August recess. It is an ambitious deadline, absolutely, but the hard work put in by Senators and staff means that we are right on track to get it done.

Given the bipartisan nature of the bill, the Senate should be able to process this legislation rather quickly. We may need the weekend. We may vote on several amendments. But with the cooperation of our Republican colleagues, I believe we can finish the bipartisan infrastructure bill in a matter of days.

While our job is not nearly complete, I do want to take a moment this morning to recognize the sweat that our members and staff have already put in. Senators from the bipartisan group have worked long hours for many weeks to first reach, and then finalize, this agreement.

I want to thank Senators Sinema and Portman for taking the lead. [Thank you] to the entire G-22 group—as it’s called—as well as the White House for helping pull all of this together.

There has been significant work behind the scenes. In order to prepare the legislative text, staff members from our committees, the group of bipartisan Senators, the legislative counsel have worked not just long hours, but endured sleepless nights to finish writing the bill.

And the work I’m talking about—a massive down payment towards rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure—will benefit our economy for years and decades to come.

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