Obama tells lawmakers he'll push to pass DREAM

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is promising to work with senators to help pass legislation allowing thousands of young people who attend college or join the military to become legal U.S. residents, according to Hispanic lawmakers who met Thursday with the president.

"The president made it absolutely clear to us that he would leave no stone unturned" in pushing for Senate approval of what's known as the DREAM Act, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Calif.) said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has said he wants to add the immigration measure to a defense policy bill the Senate plans to take up before lawmakers leave town to campaign for the November elections.

Republicans oppose that move and have accused Reid of playing politics with the bills.

Some military leaders support Reid because of the recruitment potential for the armed services. Under the bill, the young people must have come to the United States before age 16 and have lived here for five years. At least two years of military service would be required.

"The president noted that it is time to stop punishing innocent young people for the actions of their parents, especially when those youth grew up in America and want to serve this country in the military or pursue a higher education," the White House said in a statement after Obama's meeting at the White House with Gutierrez, Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn) and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.).

When Obama was a senator he supported the DREAM Act, which has been kicking around Congress for nearly a decade.

The meeting followed Obama's speech Wednesday at a Hispanic awards dinner, where he urged Latinos not to punish Democrats at the polls because he's been unable to keep his promise to sign a comprehensive immigration bill into law.

Also , Obama said innovation is key to the country's economic future but that innovation depends on students developing their skills in science, technology, engineering and math.

As part of an effort to promote those subjects, Obama announced a nonprofit organization called Change the Equation. It's designed to bring successful, privately funded programs to 100 schools and communities that are most in need. More than 100 corporate chief executives have agreed to work together to help improve student performance in those fields.