10 Aug Bloomberg to Hold Immigration Forum
Politico.com reported that New York City mayor Mike Bloomberg, who has made a ton of noise on both immigration and the presidential candidates’ silence on the issue of curbing the availability of guns, will make some more noise next week.
He is hosting forums on immigration with former White House chief of staff Bill Daley in Chicago and with Rupert Murdoch in Boston.
Murdoch, who has been critical of both President Obama and Mitt Romney on immigration, will be heavily watched.
On August 14th, the Partnership for a New American Economy will host forums in Chicago and Boston on The Economics and Politics of Immigration. The Chicago forum will be a discussion between Partnership Co-Chair and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and former White House Chief of Staff William M. Daley, moderated by Andrea Mitchell of MSNBC. The Boston forum will be a discussion between Mayor Bloomberg and News Corporation CEO and Partnership Co-Chair Rupert Murdoch, moderated by Gerald Seib of the Wall Street Journal. The forums will be wide-ranging discussions on the role of immigrants in the American economy, the need for sensible reforms that could create new American jobs, and the fractured political debate that has prevented immigration reform legislation from passing.
“In New York City and across America, immigrants are engines of our economy: starting new businesses, creating new jobs and helping companies grow,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “If we are serious about strengthening our economy and helping more Americans get back to work, we need both parties in Washington – and both presidential campaigns —to start making immigration reform a top national priority.”
“America is a great nation built on the hard work and ingenuity of immigrants, and our economic prosperity will depend upon our ability to unleash innovation and compete in the global marketplace,” said Rupert Murdoch. “Unfortunately, Washington has failed to enact immigration policies that acknowledge the role of immigrants in our economic successes, or consistently support the employment needs of America’s businesses. We have to get beyond politics and antiquated notions about immigration if we are serious about attracting and retaining the best talent in America.”
“I’ve been in business and I’ve been in politics, and no matter how you look at it, America’s immigration system is in dire need of reform,” said Bill Daley. “Our immigration policies handicap our economy, jeopardize American job creation, and arm our competitors with the world’s best workers.”
In addition, the Partnership for a New American Economy will release a new report “Open for Business,” on the increasingly important role of immigrants in starting new businesses of all sizes and in all sectors.