Four Immigration Reform Quotes You Don’t Want to Miss (and a Cool Video)
Rachel Taylor /
U.S. House conservatives came together this week to address key issues at the monthly Conversations with Conservatives briefing on Capitol Hill.
With the Senate taking action on the Gang of Eight’s amnesty bill, House members faced questions about their take on immigration reform. We made a short video with the highlights. Here are a few can’t-miss quotes.
Representative Tom McClintock (R-CA):
With respect to the pathway to citizenship, we should never forget that there is a pathway to citizenship. It is followed by millions of legal immigrants, right now, who are obeying all of our laws, respecting our nation’s sovereignty, standing patiently in line, doing everything our country has asked of them to do to become Americans, and they are watching 11 million people trying to cut in line in front of them.
Representative Raúl Labrador (R-ID):
The biggest mistake we can make as conservatives is to … think that the only way we’re going to get votes is to vote a certain way on immigration. … The votes will come if we do the right thing. It’s about time that Republicans became statesmen on this issue and we actually stop pandering to groups. … We should do things because it’s the right policy.
Representative Tim Huelskamp (R-KS):
[Many] suggest that we abandon our social-issue positions, including traditional marriage and life issues, and I think we do that at great peril. … We’ve got folks in this town that suggest amnesty attracts folks, when the reality is some traditional values held by this party are those that are most supported by the minority community.
Representative Matt Salmon (R-AZ):
I do not favor or support, nor will I vote for, a pathway to citizenship for people that are here who’ve broken the law. I would support — after we have developed a secure border — a mechanism for allowing those folks to work here in America. … Everything that we should do should be based on good, sound policy and what’s right for America.
The full 45-minute Conversations with Conservatives briefing is also available for viewing.
Rachel Taylor is currently a member of the Young Leaders Program at The Heritage Foundation. For more information on interning at Heritage, please click here.