Senate affect your strategy to
pass comprehensive immigration
reform?
Reid: My goal is still to pass comprehensive immigration reform
that secures our borders, punishes
employers who exploit immigrant
labor and undercut American
wages, and requires those living in
the shadows to register with the
government, pay fines, pay taxes,
learn English, and then go to the
back of the line.
My hope is that the Republicans
will work with us on a comprehensive approach that addresses the
many complex components necessary to fix our broken system.
“The Obama administration is working with the leadership of Colombia and Panama to address different areas of concern for members of Congress.”
AQ: Looking at the new Congress,
what will be the policy priorities
for strengthening the U.S. relationship with Latin America?
Reid: I have traveled extensively
in the region. My first two foreign trips as Majority Leader were
to Latin America because I believed we needed to refocus on our
neighborhood. It is precisely because we share strong cultural and
economic ties with the region that
Latin America should be a natural
priority for us.
AQ: The Colombia and Panama
Trade Promotion Agreements have
yet to be discussed in Congress
since they were first signed in
2007. What is the likelihood they
will be voted on in this term?
SPENCER PLATT, GETTY
Reid: As we saw with the recent
negotiations regarding the South
Korea Free Trade Agreement (FTA),
with determination and resolve,
these types of agreements can be
made more just and balanced and
attract a broader array of support
in Congress. As a result, I anticipate the administration will act
quickly next year to try to get congressional approval of the South
Any chance I’ll see that agreement approved soon? President Juan Manuel
Santos Calderón of Colombia meeting with President Barack Obama on
September 24, 2010.
Korea FTA.
It is my understanding the
Obama administration is working
with the leadership of Colombia
and Panama to address different
areas of concern for members of
Congress. These discussions, and
the outcomes they will lead to,
are key to finding a way forward
with those agreements. As we have
seen before, sending an agreement up before building support
in Congress is counterproductive. At the end of the day, what
we want are agreements that are
fair to American workers, farmers
and businesses and that deal fairly
with our friends and allies.
AQ: Nevada’s Hispanic voters supported you overwhelmingly in
the 2010 midterm elections. How
will campaign strategies ahead
of the 2012 presidential election
shift in response to the growing
importance of Hispanic voters,
especially with the 2010 census
showing their increasing share of
the U. S. population?
Reid: When I started
working with Nevada’s Latino
community more than 20 years
ago, I was criticized by many:
why do you waste time with
them? People told me that
Hispanics don’t register to vote
and that even when they do,
they don’t vote. The last two
election cycles have proven me
right. I would not be here were
it not for the solid Hispanic
support I received. As you said,
this will become the norm
rather than the exception.
What this means for the
political establishment of states
like Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and
Florida is that you can no longer
ignore this giant because it is
no longer sleeping. Further, my
friends from across the aisle
cannot continue to alienate this
large group of Americans with
divisive rhetoric and policies.
Latinos have shown they pay
attention to what political
leaders do and say; and yes, they
do register and they do vote.
