Senators urge Republican colleagues to pursue bipartisan solutions on the border and immigration

(KYMA, KECY) - Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) and 12 of his colleagues in the Senate wrote a letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) Wednesday.

In a press release, the letter stresses "the importance of working together on pressing border security and immigration needs."

The press release says Kelly was joined by the following senators:

• Senator Gary Peters (D-Mich.)
• Senator Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.)
• Senator Angus King (I-Maine)
• Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.)
• Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.)
• Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.)
• Senator Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.)
• Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
• Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.)
• Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.)
• Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.)
• Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.)

"As we have shown, Democrats and Republicans can work together on real bipartisan solutions. We can solve big challenges when we work together, and there is much work to do to improve border security, protect Dreamers and farmworkers, and fix our immigration system to better reflect the needs of our country and our modern economy," the letter from the senators said.

The press release adds that the lawmakers "stress that bipartisan cooperation is necessary to craft and advance meaningful and long-lasting solutions."

"We understand that Senate Republicans have discussed using the budget reconciliation process to advance border security budget measures without any Democratic input. While that's your right, in working together on a bipartisan basis, we can achieve the best outcome for the American people. There are also limitations to what can be done under budget reconciliation, and as we've seen time and time again, no party has all the solutions on this or any issue," the senators added in the letter.

The press release then says the senators concluded the letter, emphasizing "their willingness to work with their Republican counterparts on legislation that can pass the Senate."

"We remain ready to work with you in good faith to craft legislation that can achieve bipartisan support and 60 votes in the Senate. While there will be challenges, addressing the pressing needs of our nations' borders and finding bipartisan solutions to our outdated immigration system are too important to ignore in the 119th Congress," the senators expressed.

To read the full letter, click here.