(NewsNation) — A pair of lawmakers on Thursday re-introduced a bill that would help immigrants and refugees ease into the “social, cultural, economic, and civil” life in the United States.
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) and U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-New York) announced the National Office of New Americans Act with the goal of supporting people who recently arrived in the U.S.
The act would establish the National Office of New Americans within the White House to ensure federal agencies promote the pursuit of U.S. citizenship among immigrants and refugees.
“Our economy and communities are stronger because of the immigrant families who have enriched our nation since its founding,” Markey said in a news release. “(The Act) provides new immigrants with the resources to participate fully in our economic and civic life so that they can not only survive in our nation—but thrive.”
Cosponsors in the Senate include Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawai’i), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nevada), Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachessets), and Ron Wyden (D-Oregon).
“Queens is the world’s borough, and the immigrant communities that make up my district only deepen the beautiful tapestry of cultures in Queens,” Meng said in the release. “This vibrancy is something I think the rest of the nation can benefit from as well.”