In response to President Obama's recent address at American University, Washington, D.C., on the urgent need for comprehensive immigration reform, National Restaurant Association (NRA) president and CEO Dawn Sweeney issued the following statement on behalf of the NRA:
"Each day the need for immigration reform becomes clearer, and we commend the President for his commitment and continued leadership. It is absolutely critical for our nation that Congress develop a sensible immigration reform solution.

"Addressing our broken immigration system is an economic necessity for our industry as well as our country. The nation's 945,000 restaurant locations and their millions of employees have much at stake in this debate, and the consequences of failure to find a solution on this vital issue will be severe. The President has been a leading voice working to find a resolution to this crisis, and while significant areas of disagreement exist among advocates, we remain committed to the work ahead.

"We believe that a bipartisan process has the best chance of success, and it is imperative that the Congress continues to work toward a solution. The [NRA] pledges its continued vigorous support of sensible reform that strengthens our borders; provides a way for employers to hire from abroad when U.S. workers are not available; establishes a verification system that is effective, inexpensive and reliable, and does not unfairly penalize employers; and creates a commonsense solution for undocumented workers in the United States."
For more information, visit www.restaurant.org/advocacy/.