The Senate’s two immigration fighters clashed Wednesday, with Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions dismissing New York Sen. Chuck Schumer’s immigration reform legislation, known as the “Gang of Eight,” as amnesty.
At a hearing about the negative impact immigration has on the wages of native-born Americans, Schumer claimed that his bill was “not amnesty, not amnesty.” He also blamed the Tea Party for playing a leading role in killing the legislation, once backed by Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who bowed out of the presidential race Tuesday night.
Sessions, of Alabama, however quickly hit back claiming that the 2013 legislation shot down in the Senate was full of loopholes that amounted to a free-ride for the 15 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.
The clash came during opening statements when Schumer rapped critics of the original bill. “To say that getting rid of immigrants is the answer, to say that rejecting our bill is the answer, no. Doing nothing is not the answer,” said Schumer during the Justice Committee hearing.
When he finished, Sessions said the Gang of Eight bill would have jumped immigration above current levels. “I would note that your bill would have increased the lawful immigration by 50 percent , would have granted amnesty and a promise of enforcement in the future.”
Schumer: “The word amnesty, if you believe that you had to pay back taxes, admit you did wrongdoing, pay a fine, work, learn English, before you got a green card, go to the back of the line, so if someone waited patiently and their embassy, no one believes that’s amnesty. I know that some of the right wing radio started saying amnesty and now everyone says amnesty, that’s not amnesty, that’s not amnesty.”
Sessions: “Well it is in my perspective because none of those back taxes are going to be collected or paid in any effective way and none of those proposals would.”
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
