Immigration Reform Quotes - Page 3

• So I think there's going to be a constituent backlash against this thing soon, as they see it moving in that direction...Whether they can pass something before the American public wakes up, I don't know.

  Steve King

  Moving, Thinking, Immigration

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• But simply someone who broke the law, came here, say, 'I'll give you citizenship now,' that I don't think is going to happen.

  Bob Goodlatte

  Thinking, Law, Giving

  "Meet The Virginian Shaping The House GOP's Immigration Plan". "Morning Edition" with David Welna, www.wfdd.org. February 21, 2013.

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• People have a pathway to citizenship right now: It's to abide by the immigration laws, and if they have a family relationship, if they have a job skill that allows them to do that, they can obtain citizenship.

  Bob Goodlatte

  Jobs, Law, Skills

  "Meet The Virginian Shaping The House GOP's Immigration Plan" by David Welna, www.npr.org. February 21, 2013.

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• I've always said that the 1986 [Immigration Reform and Control] Act had a fourth leg [in addition to law enforcement, increased immigration and amnesty] to its stool which was wishful thinking. And that pattern of a four-legged stool was copied in the failed attempts to enact a second and bigger general amnesty for illegal aliens in 2006, 2007, and in the current year 2013.

  Jan C. Ting

  Thinking, Years, Law

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• This bill [Immigration Reform and Control act of 1986] is a gamble, a riverboat gamble. There is no guarantee that employer sanctions will work or that amnesty will work. We are headed into uncharted waters.

  Charles Schumer

  Guarantees That, Uncharted Waters, Immigration

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• I recently spoke with Barbara Jordan of the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform, and I increasingly believe we need a system to verify employment eligibility. The Commission's recommendation of a national registry may be the way to go.

  William J. Clinton

  Believe, Immigration, Reform

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• We have so many issues today that we need to confront. Comprehensive immigration reform. We have to solve the issue of poverty, the issue of hunger, the issue of war - spending billions of dollars to kill rather than to build. We have to deal with the fact that all of our children should be receiving the best possible education.

  John Lewis

  Children, War, Issues

  Source: www.teachingbooks.net

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• Beyond budget fights, the Obama second-term agenda was supposed to be about passing comprehensive immigration reform.

  Juan Williams

  Fighting, Immigration, Reform

  "Gun Action Central to Obama's Presidency". www.realclearpolitics.com. January 18, 2013.

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• There will never be a bill without a pathway to citizenship signed by the president...And in turn there will never be a pathway to citizenship without a new immigration system replacing the current one.

  Lindsey Graham

  President, Pathways, Immigration

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• From a policy point of view, I don't think it's the right approach. I don't like the idea of having millions of people here for their entire life without being able to assimilate into America...From a political point of view, we've got 55 Democrats sent and a 72 percent support for a path to citizenship. It's just not practical to think we'll be able to pass any bill in the United States Senate without a path to citizenship.

  Lindsey Graham

  Thinking, Views, Ideas

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• We have a ways to go here, but elections have consequences ... I think that our Republican colleagues, the Republican National Party, understands this is our new demographic in America as a result of the election. I think they understand if they want to be a national party, they're going to have to deal with this issue. For Latinos and other immigrants, this is the civil rights issue of our time.

  Bob Menendez

  Party, Thinking, Rights

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• Immigration and border security remain critical issues that I am committed to addressing this year. The good news is that illegal immigration is at an all-time low, making now the time to dedicate the needed technology and resources to finally secure the border for good. As border security improves, I look forward to working in a bipartisan manner to fix our broken immigration system and address the millions of people living in the United States outside of legal status.

  John McCain

  Technology, Years, Issues

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• If you have a large bloc of Americans who believe you're trying to keep their ... fellow Hispanics down and deprive them of an opportunity, obviously that's going to have an effect...The Republican Party has failed to understand to a significant degree the importance of this issue to our Hispanic voters. I think the trend will continue of lack of support from Hispanic voters and also as you look at the demographics of states like mine, that means we will go from Republican to Democrat over time.

  John McCain

  Party, Believe, Mean

  "Republicans Worry Whether Arizona Will Continue To Be Party Stronghold", www.foxnews.com. April 4, 2013.

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• We can't go on forever with 11 million people living in this country in the shadows in an illegal status. We cannot forever have children who were born here - who were brought here by their parents when they were small children to live in the shadows, as well... What's changed, honestly, is that there is a new appreciation on both sides of the aisle, maybe more importantly on the Republican side, that we need to enact a comprehensive immigration reform bill.

  John McCain

  Country, Appreciation, Children

  "'This Week' Transcript: Sen. John McCain and Sen. Robert Menendez". "This week" with Martha Raddatz, abcnews.go.com. January 27, 2013.

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• It's the only way that I see that it can be done," McCain said. "Obviously, it has failed in the past, but I also notice there is a somewhat changed attitude on the part of the American people about this issue.

  John McCain

  Attitude, Past, Issues

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• Well, I don't think it is amnesty to start with. Second of all, what do you want to do with them? That is the question in response. And third of all, it is a tough path to citizenship. You have to pay back taxes. You've got to learn English. You've got to have a clear record. You've got to get to the back of the line behind other people who have come here legally or waiting legally. So, i just reject that.

  John McCain

  Thinking, People, Waiting

  "Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Sen. John McCain on avoiding automatic spending cuts". "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace, www.foxnews.com. February 10, 2013.

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• Just because they broke the law doesn't mean they're condemned forever to a twilight status. So, I think that most Americans, if these people who have come illegally, as long as they pay back taxes, pay a fine, learn English and get behind everybody else, that's a key element of it. And most Americans now realize we can't have 11 million people sit in the twilight - the shadows of America, forever.

  John McCain

  Believe, Twilight, Mean

  "John McCain, Patrick Leahy & Ray LaHood on "State of the Union"". "State of the Union" with Candy Crowley, www.realclearpolitics.com. February 24, 2013.

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• We were pleased to hear the President state his firm commitment that he will do whatever is necessary to accomplish this important goal.

  John McCain

  Commitment, Goal, Important

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• In my view it is time to pass a good bill, a fair bill, a comprehensive bill ... Too many have been waiting too long for fairness.

  Patrick Leahy

  Views, Long, Waiting

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• I intend to have protections for the L.G.B.T. community in there. I'm not going to make choices between that community and the non-L.G.B.T. community.

  Patrick Leahy

  Choices, Community, Immigration

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• I'd like something that faces reality. We have 12 million people in this country that are undocumented - that's a reality. It's not going to be like they're all going to leave. One of the reasons I'm holding this hearing in the morning is to hear from somebody who actually understands what's involved here - Janet Napolitano - and I hope that from what she says and what we hear from her, we can start building some consensus.

  Patrick Leahy

  Country, Morning, Reality

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• I do feel immigration will probably be dealt with as long as [the solution] doesn't provide amnesty ... Five years ago, all hell broke loose ... This year, I thought phones would ring off the hook again. They really haven't. I think everybody realizes we have a problem.

  Johnny Isakson

  Thinking, Phones, Years

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• I've always been for immigration reform; in 2007 I just didn't feel it had enough protections.

  Tom Harkin

  Immigration, Reform, Had Enough

  "Moderate Dems coy on immigration debate". www.politico.com.

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• I am confident - very confident - that if I help solve this problem in a way that we won't have 20 million illegal immigrants 20 years from now, not only will I get re-elected, I can look back and say I was involved in something that was important.

  Lindsey Graham

  Years, Important, Immigration

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• When it comes to immigration reform, now is the time ... I've never seen a better political environment ... I'm not doing immigration reform to solve the Republican Party's political problem. I'm trying to save our nation from, I think, a shortage of labor and a catastrophic broken system.

  Lindsey Graham

  Party, Thinking, Broken

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