Watch: Marco Rubio Defends Himself Against Tea Party Attacks on Senate Floor

The Blaze ^ | 6/26/13 | Jason Howerton

[Nachum]

Responding to harsh criticism from Tea Party activists and conservatives, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) defended his support of the current immigration bill on the Senate floor Wednesday. He appealed directly to the people who helped him get elected, saying “their opinions really matter to me.”

“Over the last few days, I have received numerous emails and calls from conservatives and tea party activists from across the country regarding immigration,” Rubio began. “And they are increasingly unhappy about the immigration reform proposal in the Senate.” Marco Rubio Defends Himself Against Tea Party Attacks on Senate Floor

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks at the Faith and Freedom Coalition “Road to Majority” conference in Washington, Thursday, June 13, 2013. Credit: AP

He said conservatives are not against the immigration bill because they are “anti-immigrant,” but rather because they believe the U.S. has a right to secure its borders and a right to enforce federal immigration law.

Rubio defended the Senate’s immigration bill, claiming that there has been “false claims” about the legislation.

“This proposal mandates the most ambitious border and interior security measures in our nation’s history,” he said. “For example, it requires and funds the completion of 700 miles of real border fence, it adds 20,000 new border agents, it details a specific technology plan for each sector of the border, it requires e-Verify for every employer in America and it crates a tracking system to identify people who overstay their visas.”

He said people living illegally in the U.S. are already enjoying “de-facto amnesty.”

“To hear the worry, anxiety, and growing anger in the voices of so many people who helped me get elected to the Senate, who I agree with on virtually every other issue, has been a real trial or me,” he said.

[dfwgator]

No other country on the planet has the insane immigration policies that we do....and they want to make it even more insane.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

I know, it’s pathetic. We no longer have a GOP, we have a RINO party that cowers into a fetal position anytime the Democraps snap their fingers. It’s just a huge party of girly men ready to spread their cheeks at a moments notice. Reagan must be rolling in his grave cause he would not believe the crap that is going on today. I can’t believe it!

[Justa]

Sounds like he’s been listening to DC’s “Political consultants” the ones who always advise Republicans they need to be more like democrats. He drank the Kool-Aid.

[af_vet_rr]

I know, it’s pathetic. We no longer have a GOP, we have a RINO party that cowers into a fetal position anytime the Democraps snap their fingers. It’s just a huge party of girly men ready to spread their cheeks at a moments notice. Reagan must be rolling in his grave cause he would not believe the crap that is going on today. I can’t believe it!

I keep hearing how the GOP is the opposition party to the Democrats, and how Republicans hold the House and can use it to keep the Democrats in check, but that's not exactly what is happening....what I'm seeing is Democrats with a (D) next to their name, and Democrats with an (R) next to their name.

The Republicans are going to keep on compromising with the Democrats until there is nothing else left to compromise on.