Rubio Admits (in Spanish) That Amnesty Precedes Enforcement; CAPS Challenges Him to “Read the Bill” (Usted Debe Leer la legislación)

After weeks of talking out of both sides of his mouth, Senator and Gang of Eight leader Marco Rubio finally confessed (in Spanish) what his critics have known all along. The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization bill, S. 744, grants amnesty first with enforcement to come later—maybe.

Rubio’s unsurprising admission that 11 million illegal immigrants will be granted legal status before border security is put into effect was not completely above board. The most visible Gang Republican chose the Spanish-language network Univision to come clean.

Here’s a video of Rubio’s appearance where he was joined by Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and Republican Gang Arizona colleagues Jeff Flake and John McCain; here are excerpts in English.

Early on, Rubio emphasized S. 744 enforcement provisions and insisted that border security would come before aliens are granted permanent legal status. On Univision however, Rubio told reporter Maria Elena Salinas that amnesty is not conditional on border enforcement.

Rubio said:

“Nobody is talking about preventing the legalization. The legalization is going to happen. That means the following will happen: First comes the legalization. Then come the measures to secure the border. And then comes the process of permanent residence.”

The Senate may or may not pass S.744. But one unchallenged thing that has emerged from the political process: Rubio is exposed as a liar. On April 10, the day of La Gran Marcha, in was in Rubio’s Washington office. His aides repeatedly told me that Rubio had promised them that if S. 744 did not offer complete security, then he would walk away.

Obviously, Rubio had no compunctions about lying to his staff or, subsequently, lying to Americans. The details of my visit to Rubio’s office are in my April 15 blog here.

This week, CAPS  launched a “Read the Bill Rally” in Washington that features Rubio wearing eyeglasses to suggest that he should read the bill. 

A previous CAPS’ ad campaign asking Rubio is he understands his bill’s impact on Floridians is outlined here. Use CAPS Legislative Alert to urge your Senators to read S. 744 and then vote "no."