Bringing in New UAFA Cosponsors

By Daniel Rotman on 08/04/2011 @ 12:19 PM

Being the Student Coordinator for the Newly Elected Members of Congress Program last January at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government has proven to be quite fruitful: I have been able to take the contacts and relationships I made with newly elected members and translate them into meaningful relationships for Immigration Equality.

Many of the freshmen Democrats who were elected into the 112th Congress are very supportive of LGBT and immigration rights. Being able to harness my contacts with them and their sincere interest in the issue has translated into several new co-sponsors of the UAFA and new allies in the House. Congressman Clarke of Michigan joined as a co-sponsor within 24 hours of our meeting with him. Congresswoman Hanabusa of Hawaii joined as a co-sponsor within 8 hours of our meeting with her. And, Congressman Keating of Massachusetts joined as a co-sponsor within 2 hours of our meeting with him. We also signed on Congresswoman Wilson of Florida.

I am so happy to have been able to help make this contribution to IE and my experience as a whole this summer has been so great. I love the work we did out of DC this summer at IEAF and am proud of the work the org does as a whole.

I look forward to continuing to be a part of the fight!

Daniel Rotman is the 2011 Policy Fellow at Immigration Equality Action Fund. Please join his work for the Uniting American Families Act and LGBT immigrant families by reaching out to your congressperson, or former congressperson if you're living in exile, today!