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Rubio on Greta: “Immigration Bill Is A Starting Point”

May 1, 2013 | Press Releases

Excerpts from Interview on FOX News’ “On The Record w/ Greta Van Susteren”
Senator Marco Rubio
April 30, 2013
http://youtu.be/ptt7sQT2IK4

Senator Marco Rubio: “Well, I have tremendous respect for Jim DeMint and you’re absolutely right. His objection to this is the economic cost so we have to make sure that there aren’t any economic costs. That’s one of the reasons why in the bill that I have helped prepare, illegal immigrants, when they get legalized and get that permit to work, they don’t qualify for any federal benefits at all, including ObamaCare. Now if there are ways to make that even better, we’re open to it. So you know we want to hear from Senator DeMint. We want to hear from Heritage. We want to hear from everybody about how to improve this.

“Obviously what I think we have come up with is a starting point. I think a very good starting point, but I think we need to build on it. So certainly we don’t want to see costs to the government either. That’s why we put in specifically in the bill that people that are illegally here, that get this permit, do not qualify for any federal benefits, including ObamaCare.”

Rubio: “Well you know, Heritage is very involved. I mean Heritage is still very involved and we see what they write all the time and we still work with them on all kinds of other issues. I think we share the same goal, which is to have a legal immigration system that works. We have some difference of opinion about how to get there but ultimately, I mean, I think we agree on the goal. And so look, this is a very tough issue. This is not an issue you take on for political purposes but we cannot leave in place what we have now. What we have now is de facto amnesty, it’s chaos, it’s terrible for the country.”

Greta Van Susteren: “What do you think about what the President said today about agreeing with some and disagreeing with others? Do you know what he’s talking about?”

Rubio: “I don’t, but I don’t agree with a lot about what the President says about immigration reform. Look, I think the general outline is everybody agrees. You know we need to have a modernized legal immigration system. We have to enforce and secure the border and enforce the immigration laws and have E-verify. You know, we have to have some process to deal with people that are here illegally. The devil, of course, is in the detail. As you recall, the President and Janet Napolitano have said they don’t want any triggers. They don’t want any enforcement to make the legalization contingent. I think they’re wrong on that. This bill does that and I think if we have a chance to add to that we should.”