A new, 60-second ad aimed squarely at Republican lawmakers seeks to compel them to push through a broad overhaul of the nationâs immigration laws. Adopting a sharper tone, the ad blames House Republicans for holding up the immigration legislation that has currently stalled in Congress.
âNo one debates we need to fix our broken immigration system,â the narrator says. âRepublican leaders know it. Theyâve even said so time and again. So why are House Republicans cooling, retreating, and even privately saying theyâd rather do nothing this year?â
The spot is the work of the Council for American Job Growth, an affiliate of FWD.us, the nonprofit advocacy group created by Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, and others to push for an overhaul of the nationâs immigration laws. The council is spending roughly $500,000 on airtime for the commercial, which begins running Monday nationally and is expected to appear in all 50 states for about two weeks.
The push on the airwaves mirrors the effort by some activist groups, who after months of trying to cajole and genially lobby Republican lawmakers to get behind an immigration overhaul are now adopting harder-edged tactics.
Referring to the Senate-passed immigration legislation that has stalled in the Republican-controlled House, the narrator continues: âDoing nothing puts jobs on ice, forces us to lose out on revenue for roads and schools and infrastructure, and sends a message to millions of Dreamers who study hard and want to serve our country â" they might as well dream on.â
âNo, nothing wonât do,â the ad concludes. âCall House Republicans today. Tell them weâve waited long enough â" pass immigration reform.â
The group hopes its ad will convey a sense of urgency when it comes to immigration reform.
âThe cost of inaction is too great, and itâs not enough to pay lip service to the need for immigration reform,â said Todd Schulte, president of the Council for American Job Growth. âItâs time for House Republicans to make good on their words and act.â