White House: 'Pathway to Citizenship' Would Boost GDP by $1.4 Trillion

In part of its continued effort to push immigration reform across the finish line, the White House is claiming a “pathway to citizenship” would boost U.S. GDP by $1.4 trillion over a decade.

According to The Hill, Director of Domestic Policy Cecilia Muñoz and Director of the National Economic Council Gene Sperling both contend: “We cannot afford a system that creates a group which can never become fully American, denying equal rights to people who pay the same taxes and play by the same rules even after they’ve paid a penalty and gotten on the right side of the law.”

The White House has predicted positive economic effects since the Senate passed an immigration bill containing a pathway to citizenship in June of this year. Just two weeks ago, “the White House released state-by-state reports outlining the potential economic benefits of passing the Senate bill.”

But Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) warns the economic promises may be fool’s gold. Rather than trillions in GDP growth, he says the bill “has become synonymous with corporate welfare.”

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) said he also opposes pathway to citizenship legislation: “People have a pathway to citizenship right now: It’s to abide by the immigration laws, and if they have family relationships, if they have a job skill that allows them to do that, they can obtain citizenship.” 

Goodlatte said for someone who broke the law, to pretend we are going to say, “‘I’ll give you citizenship now,’ that I don’t think is going to happen.” 

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins.