By David Martin Davies, Texas Public Radio News for Fronteras
SAN ANTONIO – While President Barack Obama covered a lot of territory in last night’s State of the Union, one topic in the big speech that’s being scrutinized is immigration reform.
It took President Obama almost exactly an hour to deliver the State of the Union – 2 minutes and 18 seconds of it was dedicated to immigration reform.
BARACK OBAMA: “And right now, leaders from the business, labor, law enforcement, and faith communities all agree that the time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform.”
It was one of the major applause lines of the night – earning a standing ovation from both sides of the aisle. Yet some Republican lawmakers, like Congressman Lamar Smith of Texas, still held their enthusiasm in check.
LAMAR SMITH: “I was not surprised by what the President said about amnesty and granting citizenship to over 10 million people in the country illegally.”
Smith says President Obama’s plan for a pathway to citizenship runs afoul of the president’s own plan to beat down the nation’s unemployment.
SMITH: “Because when you legalize over 10 million people they become eligible to work in the United States and they’re competing with unemployed Americans and unemployed legal immigrants.”
Democrat Congressman Joaquin Castro, also of Texas, said the inclusion of immigration reform in the State of the Union is a victory for the Hispanic voters who turned out in mass the last election. But he said it still going to be a challenge pass the bill in the GOP controlled House.
JOAQUIN CASTRO: “The fact is there is going to be a significant chunk of Republicans who will not move off a hard line stance. But I do think that there’s a bi-partisan coalition who do support comprehensive reform that includes a pathway to citizenship and I think that by the end of the year those minds will prevail in Congress.”
In delivering the Republican response Florida Senator Marco Rubio also touched on immigration reform and avoided mentioning a pathway to citizenship.
MARCO RUBIO: “We need a responsible, permanent solution to the problem of those who are here illegally. But first, we must follow through on the broken promises of the past to secure our borders and enforce our laws.”
But President Obama did laydown that real reform would require a quote “responsible pathway to earned citizenship.”
OBAMA: “A path that includes passing a background check, paying taxes and a meaningful penalty, learning English, and going to the back of the line behind the folks trying to come here legally.”
The President adding, that bipartisan groups in both chambers are working on an immigration bill and in the new few months he expects to sign it into law.
Loading ...