Marco Rubio and Gang of Eight, Kelly Ayotte Sell National Security Down the River

Senator Marco Rubio

Senator Kelly Ayotte

Republican Senators Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham, John McCain, Jeff Flake and Kelly Ayotte are not requiring any new border security or enforcement before legalizing 11 million current illegal immigrants.  Other promises they previously made are also not in the current bill they support.

Byron York on Marco Rubio's change in commitment to border security:

A “Myth vs. Fact” press release from Rubio’s office shortly after the Gang of Eight bill was introduced called for “100 percent awareness and 90 percent success in apprehending those trying to cross the border.” Unless those goals are met, Rubio and other supporters have said, formerly illegal immigrants will not be permitted to move from registered provisional immigrant status to legal permanent resident status and then, later, to U.S. citizenship.

But the bill as written includes no such requirement; immigrants can be awarded legal permanent resident status even if the security goals have not been met.
[emphasis added]

On the requirement to learn English:

. . . both Democrats and Republicans have claimed that the bill requires formerly-illegal immigrants to learn English as a condition of acquiring legal permanent resident status.
. . .
But the bill does not require any immigrant to demonstrate any level of proficiency in English as a condition of earning a green card. While the bill says immigrants must meet a standard laid out in the Immigration and Nationality Act that they “demonstrate an understanding of the English language,” it then adds that those immigrants who don’t understand English should be “satisfactorily pursuing a course of study…to achieve an understanding of English.” There’s no requirement that they actually achieve that understanding as a condition of earning legal permanent resident status.
[emphasis added]

On empowering border states to ensure border security:

When the bill was first introduced, Rubio and others claimed that if the Department of Homeland Security did not achieve border security, then a commission, made up of border-state governors, would have the authority to do the job itself. “If, in five years, the plan has not reached 100 percent awareness and 90 percent apprehension, the Department of Homeland Security will lose control of the issue and it will be turned over to the border governors to finish the job,” Rubio told radio host Mark Levin shortly after the bill was introduced.

But there are no such provisions in the bill. In the legislation, the Border Commission’s purpose would be to make “recommendations to the President, the Secretary, and Congress on policies to achieve and maintain the border security goal.” The commission would have six months to write a report “setting forth specific recommendations.” And then, when the report is finished, the commission “shall terminate 30 days after the date on which the report is submitted.” That’s all it does. There’s nothing in the bill requiring the commission to finish the job of border security, and indeed it would have no authority to do so.
[emphasis added]

Marco Rubio on legalization coming before border security:

“Let’s be clear,” 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.”
[emphasis added]

As Byron York notes, Rubio is in effect supporting legalization of the "estimated 11 million illegal immigrants . . . before any new border security or internal enforcement measures are in place, and will in no way be conditional on any security requirements."

Senators Marco Rubio, Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and Jeff Flake as members of the Gang of Eight have demonstrated legislative and political incompetence that endangers the nation. Senator Kelly Ayotte recently joined them, reversing her campaign position of a tough border security stance.