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| Marco Rubio: enforcing immigration laws is not 'hostility' – that's 'silly talk' | Marco Rubio: enforcing immigration laws is not 'hostility' – that's 'silly talk' |
| (about 17 hours later) | |
| Senator Marco Rubio on Wednesday denounced as “silly talk” the recent charge by Hillary Clinton that the 2016 Republican presidential field is on “a spectrum of hostility” toward immigrants, insisting the Democratic frontrunner was motivated by pressure she feels from her liberal base. | Senator Marco Rubio on Wednesday denounced as “silly talk” the recent charge by Hillary Clinton that the 2016 Republican presidential field is on “a spectrum of hostility” toward immigrants, insisting the Democratic frontrunner was motivated by pressure she feels from her liberal base. |
| “That’s silly talk. We’re a sovereign country. We have a right to enforce our immigration laws,” Rubio said while speaking to reporters on the second of a three-day campaign swing through Iowa. “That’s not hostility, that’s sovereignty.” | “That’s silly talk. We’re a sovereign country. We have a right to enforce our immigration laws,” Rubio said while speaking to reporters on the second of a three-day campaign swing through Iowa. “That’s not hostility, that’s sovereignty.” |
| Rubio shot back against Clinton’s own immigration record, citing her opposition – until recently – to giving undocumented immigrants driver’s licenses. He added that he expected the Democratic frontrunner to “continue to say silly things … because she feels heat from the left”. | |
| Related: Hillary Clinton defends her trustworthiness in CNN interview | Related: Hillary Clinton defends her trustworthiness in CNN interview |
| The Florida senator, one of the top contenders for the Republican nomination for president, was responding to comments made by Clinton during an interview with CNN on Tuesday. The former secretary of state was asked about Donald Trump’s controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants, whom the real estate mogul equated to “rapists” and “killers”. | The Florida senator, one of the top contenders for the Republican nomination for president, was responding to comments made by Clinton during an interview with CNN on Tuesday. The former secretary of state was asked about Donald Trump’s controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants, whom the real estate mogul equated to “rapists” and “killers”. |
| “They are all in the same general area on immigration,” Clinton said of the Republican party’s field, which will balloon to 15 candidates on Monday, when the Wisconsin governor, Scott Walker, is expected to declare his own White House run. “They don’t want to provide a path to citizenship. They range across a spectrum of being either grudgingly welcome or hostile toward immigrants.” | |
| Rubio, one of the co-authors of a comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed the Senate in 2013, disputed Clinton’s claim by pointing to his own record. | Rubio, one of the co-authors of a comprehensive immigration reform bill that passed the Senate in 2013, disputed Clinton’s claim by pointing to his own record. |
| “I do believe that we’re going to have to responsibly and reasonably deal with the fact that we’ve got 12 or 13 million people in this country that are illegally here … and an enormous and overwhelming majority have not violated our laws, other than immigration laws,” he said, before reiterating his position that immigration reform must begin with border security and bring illegal immigration under tighter controls. | “I do believe that we’re going to have to responsibly and reasonably deal with the fact that we’ve got 12 or 13 million people in this country that are illegally here … and an enormous and overwhelming majority have not violated our laws, other than immigration laws,” he said, before reiterating his position that immigration reform must begin with border security and bring illegal immigration under tighter controls. |
| “Anyone who believes otherwise is delusional,” said Rubio, who is the son of Cuban immigrants. | “Anyone who believes otherwise is delusional,” said Rubio, who is the son of Cuban immigrants. |
| Related: Donald Trump says he 'will win Latino vote' despite calling Mexicans 'rapists' | Related: Donald Trump says he 'will win Latino vote' despite calling Mexicans 'rapists' |
| He also sharply criticized Trump, who is also seeking the party’s nomination, and sought to distance the views of other Republican candidates from those of the self-described billionaire. | He also sharply criticized Trump, who is also seeking the party’s nomination, and sought to distance the views of other Republican candidates from those of the self-described billionaire. |
| “I think voters are capable of distinguishing the Republican party from Donald Trump,” Rubio said, adding he “obviously strongly disagree[s]” with the comments. | “I think voters are capable of distinguishing the Republican party from Donald Trump,” Rubio said, adding he “obviously strongly disagree[s]” with the comments. |
| “They’re inaccurate, and they’re offensive, and they’re divisive.” | “They’re inaccurate, and they’re offensive, and they’re divisive.” |
| Among other topics Rubio addressed were the US supreme court’s recent decision on same-sex marriage, where he took on a different position than Walker, and the financial crisis in Puerto Rico. | Among other topics Rubio addressed were the US supreme court’s recent decision on same-sex marriage, where he took on a different position than Walker, and the financial crisis in Puerto Rico. |
| The Wisconsin governor reacted to the court’s landmark ruling in favor of marriage equality last month by saying he would push a constitutional amendment allowing states to define marriage and effectively reverse the court’s decision. Rubio said he opposed that approach. | The Wisconsin governor reacted to the court’s landmark ruling in favor of marriage equality last month by saying he would push a constitutional amendment allowing states to define marriage and effectively reverse the court’s decision. Rubio said he opposed that approach. |
| “I don’t support a constitutional amendment. I don’t believe the federal government should be in the marriage regulation business,” said Rubio, while reaffirming his belief that marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman. | “I don’t support a constitutional amendment. I don’t believe the federal government should be in the marriage regulation business,” said Rubio, while reaffirming his belief that marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman. |
| “We can continue to disagree with it. Perhaps a future court will change that decision, in much the same way as it’s changed other decisions in the past,” Rubio said. “The decision is what it is, and that’s what we’ll live under.” | “We can continue to disagree with it. Perhaps a future court will change that decision, in much the same way as it’s changed other decisions in the past,” Rubio said. “The decision is what it is, and that’s what we’ll live under.” |
| On Puerto Rico, the senator sounded a different note than Clinton and Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida who is considered one of Rubio’s top rivals for the Republican presidential ticket. Both Bush and Clinton have come out in favor of the US Congress granting Puerto Rico the same legal support to file for bankruptcy that is afforded to states. | On Puerto Rico, the senator sounded a different note than Clinton and Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida who is considered one of Rubio’s top rivals for the Republican presidential ticket. Both Bush and Clinton have come out in favor of the US Congress granting Puerto Rico the same legal support to file for bankruptcy that is afforded to states. |
| Asked by the Guardian if he supported Chapter 9 bankruptcy rights for Puerto Rico, Rubio did not take a definitive position, focusing instead on the need to resolve the issue in a way that sets the right precedent for similar situations in the future. | Asked by the Guardian if he supported Chapter 9 bankruptcy rights for Puerto Rico, Rubio did not take a definitive position, focusing instead on the need to resolve the issue in a way that sets the right precedent for similar situations in the future. |
| “It’s a complex issue,” Rubio said on Wednesday. “We want to make sure that whatever decision we make with regards to this is probably going to create a precedent for other jurisdictions in the country that are going to face similar situations in the near future. There are going to be other jurisdictions that are facing financial crises and the inability to meet their liabilities.” | “It’s a complex issue,” Rubio said on Wednesday. “We want to make sure that whatever decision we make with regards to this is probably going to create a precedent for other jurisdictions in the country that are going to face similar situations in the near future. There are going to be other jurisdictions that are facing financial crises and the inability to meet their liabilities.” |
| “Whatever precedent we set in Puerto Rico could be established in these other places,” Rubio said, “so it’s important we get it right.” | “Whatever precedent we set in Puerto Rico could be established in these other places,” Rubio said, “so it’s important we get it right.” |
| He also appeared to take a thinly veiled swipe at Bush and Clinton, pointing out that he is in a position to deal with the situation directly in the US Senate. | He also appeared to take a thinly veiled swipe at Bush and Clinton, pointing out that he is in a position to deal with the situation directly in the US Senate. |
| “We’re going to be careful about doing it, because unlike some of the other people opining on it we’re actually in a position to propose something that could pass. We want it to be the right thing,” Rubio said. | “We’re going to be careful about doing it, because unlike some of the other people opining on it we’re actually in a position to propose something that could pass. We want it to be the right thing,” Rubio said. |
| Rubio also took a different position than Bush on the issue of statehood – Bush has been a longtime backer of statehood for Puerto Rico and called on Congress during an April visit to the island to hold an up-or-down vote on the issue. | Rubio also took a different position than Bush on the issue of statehood – Bush has been a longtime backer of statehood for Puerto Rico and called on Congress during an April visit to the island to hold an up-or-down vote on the issue. |
| Rubio said on Wednesday that he supported that clear vote on statehood – not by the US Congress, but the people of Puerto Rico. | Rubio said on Wednesday that he supported that clear vote on statehood – not by the US Congress, but the people of Puerto Rico. |
| Echoing comments he made on the subject last year, Rubio suggested a two-option ballot that would give Congress “a clear indication of what they want their future to be”, citing a 2012 vote in which Puerto Ricans technically voted in favor of statehood but were given three choices on in a ballot process that ultimately did not yield clarity. | Echoing comments he made on the subject last year, Rubio suggested a two-option ballot that would give Congress “a clear indication of what they want their future to be”, citing a 2012 vote in which Puerto Ricans technically voted in favor of statehood but were given three choices on in a ballot process that ultimately did not yield clarity. |
| “I think we need an up-or-down referendum in Puerto Rico that clearly signals what it is they want to be, and once we get that then that I think is when Congress can begin to get involved in the process,” Rubio said in Iowa. | “I think we need an up-or-down referendum in Puerto Rico that clearly signals what it is they want to be, and once we get that then that I think is when Congress can begin to get involved in the process,” Rubio said in Iowa. |
| “Ultimately, at this point obviously it’s not something that’s going to happen in the near term given the financial strife they’re facing.” | “Ultimately, at this point obviously it’s not something that’s going to happen in the near term given the financial strife they’re facing.” |