“I would urge everyone on this committee to roll up our sleeves and fix the problem in a humane way, that secures the border, gets serious about fixing that problem, that expands legal immigrationand that does not unfairly treat legal immigrants by removing a path to citizenship, but allowing, as this legislation does, a legal status for those who are here illegally, that would be reform that a great many people across this country both Republican and Democrat would embrace and I would urge the committee to consider the amendment.”
The Cruz team later came back and said the amendment was aimed to demonstrate that Democrats sere only interested in a path to citizenship, but Cruz’s comments from that time certainly don’t sound like they were aimed at symbolism:
“In introducing amendments, what I endeavored to do was improve that bill so that it actually fixes the problem,” Cruz told me. “I think an overwhelming majority of Americans in both parties wants to see our broken immigration system fixed, wants to see the problem solved, the border secured, and our remaining a nation that welcomes and celebrates legal immigrants. Given that bipartisan agreement outside of Washington, my objective was not to kill immigration reform but to amend the Gang of Eight bill so that it actually solves the problem rather than making the problem worse.”
By claiming he never supported legalization, Cruz just either lied, or offered an enormously misleading statement. If he did that about his past position on a path to legalization… would he do the same about his future stance?