WASHINGTON, March 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund issued the following statement in response to the introduction today of the Citizenship Promotion Act of 2007 by U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL):

"The NALEO Educational Fund strongly supports the Citizenship Promotion Act of 2007 ("CPA"), introduced today by U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), because it would remove many of the obstacles in the path of legal permanent residents who are eager to become full Americans. This legislation would enhance our national security by providing for greater accountability in the background checks that are conducted on applicants for U.S. citizenship. The CPA also would establish a national program to promote U.S. citizenship and help community organizations provide a wide range of naturalization education, outreach and assistance services to our nation's newcomers.

The CPA addresses one of the most significant barriers that could place the dream of U.S. citizenship beyond the reach of thousands of legal permanent residents -- the proposal of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to raise the fees for starting the naturalization process from $400 to $675. The CPA would freeze those fees at their current level, and explicitly authorize Congress to appropriate funds to supplement those fees to help cover the type of costs that the USCIS claims are largely responsible for the fee hikes, such as infrastructure investments, capital improvements, and business system upgrades. The USCIS must then re-evaluate its need for the proposed increases in light of the funds available from Congress, and the agency may be able to reduce the amount of the hike, or avoid it altogether.

The CPA would also make the test for U.S. citizenship fairer by providing for uniform administration of the exam throughout the nation. The legislation would require the USCIS, when administering the test, to take into account the special circumstances of applicants who face particular challenges because of their age, education, or other similar characteristics. This provision would put into law the regulatory requirement of "due consideration" for such applicants that currently applies to the agency.

In addition, the CPA would strengthen our national security by providing for greater accountability in the system of conducting background checks on naturalization applicants. Many naturalization applicants have experienced lengthy waiting times during their application processing because these checks are not completed in a timely manner. The bill generally would require the FBI to complete those background checks within 90 days, and impose documentation and Congressional reporting requirements on the FBI if background check delays for specific applicants extend beyond that period. The CPA also would mandate a comprehensive Government Accountability Office (GAO) study on the FBI's background checks procedures.

Finally, the CPA would create a national New Americans Initiative ("NAI") to provide $80 million for U.S. citizenship promotion, education and assistance by the USCIS and non-profit community organizations. Through the NAI, the USCIS must develop outreach materials to encourage legal permanent residents to apply for naturalization, and must disseminate those materials through public service announcements and other media. The NAI also establishes a program that makes resources available for community organizations with experience and expertise in working with newcomers to provide a broad range of U.S. citizenship services. These services include English and civics classes, legal services, outreach and education activities, and application assistance.

We commend the leadership of U.S. Senator Obama and U.S. Rep. Gutierrez for their efforts on behalf of the CPA. We also appreciate the support and assistance provided by the other original co-sponsors of the bill: U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Ken Salazar (D-CO), and Jeff Bingaman (D-NM); and U.S. Reps. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Mike Honda (D- CA), Ed Pastor (D-AZ), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), and Hilda Solis (D-CA).

We now urge the Congress and the President to work together to ensure the swift enactment of the CPA. In addition, the USCIS must work with Congress so that there is a timely appropriation of the funding authorized by the CPA that will enable the agency to avoid imposing its proposed application fee hikes. The CPA allows the agency to pursue funding so that it can make major investments to enhance the delivery of its services without having to pass the entire cost on to hardworking, taxpaying newcomers. Under the provisions of the CPA, our system for financing immigration services could become a partnership where applicants pay a reasonable fee for quality service, but Congress must appropriate sufficient monies to make that partnership a reality.

According to data published by the Office of Immigration Statistics, there are about 8 million legal permanent residents in our nation who are eligible to naturalize and about half of these are Latino. Immigrants who apply for naturalization are eager to demonstrate their commitment to this country by becoming full participants in our nation's civic life. By removing obstacles in the path to U.S. citizenship, the CPA will help newcomers and our nation realize the dream of a strong and vibrant democracy.

About the NALEO Educational Fund

The NALEO Educational Fund is the leading organization that facilitates full Latino participation in the American political process, from citizenship to public service. The NALEO Educational Fund is a non-profit, non-partisan organization whose constituency includes the more than 6,000 Latino elected and appointed officials nationwide.