Posted on 01/29/2013 10:40:34 AM PST by SeekAndFind
While confusion continues to reign over the border-enforcement mechanisms in the Gang of Eight immigration-reform proposal, its most critical proponent continued to insist yesterday that a lack of a robust trigger on border security was a deal killer. Marco Rubio took his case to Sean Hannity, who asked (as I did yesterday) whether Rubio would oppose his own compromise plan if the commission-certification trigger was watered down or removed. Rubio committed again to opposition by saying that it would "absolutely" be a deal-killer:
Rubio: “That’s why the details are so important of how you write it. You’re absolutely right. This is a town where they write things that are called something, but that’s not what it is. So it has to be important. Look, you said something in your outline that is very important. I don’t want to ever have to do this again. But that’s what is going to happen if all we do is the legalization part and we don’t do the enforcement part. And the only way that I know to incentivize the enforcement part is to say that the green card stuff doesn’t even begin to happen until the enforcement happens first. That trigger is critically important, otherwise it will never happen. That’s why we are where we are today. Because when they did this in 1986, they did not do the enforcement, and that led to 11 million people. We will be right back here again in ten years or less if we don’t do the enforcement.”
Hannity: “Can I characterize that, if you don’t get enforcement first, or securing the borders first, is that a deal killer for you?”
Rubio: “Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Because we will be right back here again. I want to deal with this permanently. And by the way, I think the vast majority of people in both parties would agree with me on that point. No one ever wants to have to do this again. I mean, no one is happy about the fact that we have 11 million people here who are undocumented. This is something that should never ever happen again. But the decisions that were made that led to this happened when I was in ninth grade. That was a long time ago. And now we have to deal with it so that it never happens again.”
The confusion isn’t just contained to the Right, nor the concern over this point. Greg Sargent reports that Democrats from the Gang of Eight have become just as evasive as some of the Republicans while Rubio publicly insists that the package will require commission approval before the normalization can proceed:
On CBS this morning, John McCain said the “final decision” about whether the border is secure will be made by the Department of Homeland Security, which suggests a diminished role for this commission, while remaining inconclusive on precisely how this process will work. But in an interview with Ed Morrissey late yesterday, Marco Rubio suggested he won’t support a path to citizenship unless the commission does sign off on border security, a position he reiterated in another interview. There’s no clear agreement even among Republicans about the role of this commission.
Meanwhile, Dem Senate aides tell me that the commission’s role is designed to be purely advisory and nonbinding. At the same time, Chuck Schumer’s office declined to respond to my request for clarification on this point.
Can we get a straight answer on this, please? This question is viewed as critical by people on both sides of the debate. Yet Senators appear to want to keep the answer to this question vague. Which tells us something about the politics of this fight — and about just how difficult the prospects for reform remain.
Judging by Rubio’s response to this question, it’ll be hard for Republicans to support reform that doesn’t require a security seal of approval from border state officials. This reflects pressure from the right on Republicans to demand an extremely heavy emphasis on enforcement in the plan. (See Conn Carroll pushing Rubio on this point.)
We probably won’t get a straight answer until we see the legislative language, and that will be a few weeks off. However, Rubio is raising the bar on this issue in a very public manner, and even McCain’s answer suggests that the commission might have to pass the question to DHS before a decision can be made. As Rubio and Hannity both agree, the devil is in the details.
Enforce the existing laws. We have no need for new laws.
Hannity? Mr dim bulb?
I see Rubio is playing hardball ........make believe hardball.
Like Dems in Senate will reject Rub+Schumer’s plan...this staged show is to get Bohners support after a bill is passed in Senate. “We beat Obama. He caved”
its charlie brown and the football all over again.
The REAL answer is enforce the border, and deport as many illegals as can be found. then after seeing some serious results for a few years THEN and ONLY THEN talk about the rest.
its charlie brown and the football all over again.
The REAL answer is enforce the border, and deport as many illegals as can be found. then after seeing some serious results for a few years THEN and ONLY THEN talk about the rest.
A commission, the DHS, oh boy! I’m sure that border will be real secure before DHS (um, who runs that?) certifies it. Maybe we’ll get a commission instead. In the interests of bipartisanship, we gotta make sure it’s evenly divided between diehard leftists and mushy RINOs. Senator Rubio must be #1 an idiot, #2 incredibly naive, or #3 secretly dreams of amnesty but wants political cover.
The RINOs and leftists (I repeat myself) have been working on this amnesty plan for YEARS!
We’re still owed the enforcement promised as part of Simpson-Mazzoli in 1986. They had no intention of enforcing the border then and they have no intention of enforcing it after any new amnesty scam they might pass this year.
Anyone who buys into the enforcment promise again is...
that’s another problem, every time the democrats and the media raise spome issue and push it the republicans jump to it.
They should do the exact opposite. when the media yells gun control the repubs should take up school choice, when the media yells iummigration the republicans should take up ending affirmative action. Etc.
We also need mandatory everify and prosecution of those that hire illegals along with proof of citizenship for federal (states should do this to) welfare.
Can’t prove your here legally? The boarder is that way! (for me that is south west)
Heh—does Marco Rubio have his papers yet?
Agreed on prosecuting those who hire.
Deport Rubio
Repubs are always eager to hail the latest upstart “conservative” without really knowing what they stand for. Take Colon Powell for example, give 1 or 2 conservative sounding speeches and Repubs instantly want to run him for pres. How did that turn out? Rubio hasn’t been around that long and I’m worried he is another “my ethnicity first” guy like Powell. He talks a good game but then marches the Repubs into an electoral killing field with his stupid immigration policy. This has the potential to change the electoral map and outcome of EVERY election for GENERATIONS. He has lead us to the abyss of TOTAL RAT CONTROL OF GOVT for as far as the eye can see. Why needlessly start this process which is a SURE LOSER for Repubs. We are being betrayed or at least mislead.
The "immigration system" isn't broken.
The Federal government is broken.
Why make up a complete new set of immigration laws?
We know the federal government will ignore them just as they ignore existing laws.
Republicans Fall For Democrat "Football Trick" Again
kick their kids out of our public schools and do away with anchor baby status as well.
You can’t be a citizen simply because your mom jumped a fence and had you.
Including the use of E-Verify for federal government bureaucrats and elected officials.
And make them all (including presidents, senators and congressmen) fill out a federal form I-9 and provide supporting documentation, just like every citizen must do when starting a new job.
I see what you did there ;)
Think using that method would get the talking heads on the right to look at the issue?
Of course it makes perfect sense.
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