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Bush cites ‘historic’ opportunity on immigration |
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By Klaus Marre
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Posted: 06/26/07 10:26 AM [ET] |
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Hours before a key test Senate vote Tuesday on the comprehensive immigration reform plan, President Bush emphasized his strong support for the bill and said now is a “historic time to act.” “This is a moment for people who have been elected to come together, focus on a problem, and show the American people that we can work together to fix the problem,” Bush said at a briefing in the Old Executive Office Building. “If you dislike the status quo in immigration, then you ought to be supporting a comprehensive approach to making sure the system works.” Bush has many GOP critics who decry the immigration bill as legislation that would grant amnesty to the millions of illegal immigrants currently in the country. Supporters of the bill have strongly rejected such rhetoric, saying that those wishing to stay would have to pay penalties and assimilate. The Senate effort has brought together conservatives and liberals, and Bush stressed that the “careful compromise” does not give either side everything it wants. Rather, he said, a good bill tries to reverse mistakes that were made in the past. |
