“So, if you look at it, I don’t think our positions are dramatically different”. It’s unclear from the context whether “every amendment” means every border security amendment proposed by Cruz and Republican Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), or every amendment ever proposed.
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Rubio, of Florida, said that the USA Freedom Act, which he voted against and Cruz voted for, compromised the security of the United States by curtailing its intelligence-gathering powers, according to Roll Call.
“We want to make sure every Republican across the country knows that he blocked conservative amendments to the immigration bill”. Angry voters, however, deterred the GOP’s leaders from accepting the deal.
Rubio hasn’t had to spend much time defending his immigration stance on the presidential campaign trail. The bill, Kate’s Law, is named for a woman shot in San Francisco by an immigrant in the country illegally. “[Ted] Cruz in particular – have voted to weaken the US intelligence programs just in the last month-and-a-half”.
President Barack Obama says it’s wrong to equate attacks like those that happened in Paris with Islam. But the move could give a platform to Cruz, with whom McConnell has sparred.
“I think it’s a distinctive issue of debate in the presidential race”, Rubio said at a NY forum on Monday. After securing the border, Rubio would allow those who are here illegally to pay a fine and join the back of the line for those who are applying for permanent residency. “Under a Cruz Administration, illegal immigrants will cease receiving government benefits”. This is both illegal and unacceptable.
That’s essentially what was contained in the 2013 bill Rubio co-wrote.
Rubio has argued that any future stab at reform has to “modernize” legal immigration. “Under no circumstances should legal immigration levels be adjusted upwards so long as work-force participation rates remain below historical levels”. He would suspend the issuance of all H-1B (employment) visas for 180 days for audit to ensure it is not being abused.
Rubio also hit President Obama for his comments last week before the Paris attacks that ISIS was “contained”.
But Rubio’s apparent pivot has drawn criticism from immigration advocates who accuse him of abandoning their cause. “That said, we need to have real-time access to any actionable intelligence that will allow us to save Americans’ lives”.
As a Mexican-American, of course, I’m bothered by untrue and unfair claims by demagogues that immigrants from Mexico are inferior to earlier waves that came from Europe a century ago.
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“We have to protect ourselves, we have to protect our citizens”. Most nations on earth do not do so, and neither should we. “I will take steps to pass legislation or a constitutional amendment to end it”, Mr Cruz said.
