OANN: Rubio Says ‘We Don’t Have The Votes’ For Broad Immigration Bill

DIAZ / AP

By John Whitesides; Editing by Eric Walsh, May 17, 2015, OANN/Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican presidential contender Marco Rubio said on Sunday he still favors immigration reform, but he has accepted the need for a piece-by-piece legislative approach because “we don’t have the votes to pass” a comprehensive measure.

Rubio, a U.S. senator from Florida, said on “Fox News Sunday” there were fewer votes in Congress for comprehensive immigration reform now than two years ago, when he worked with Senate Democrats to help pass a comprehensive bill that included a path to citizenship for those in the country illegally.

That measure died in the House of Representatives amid conservative opposition. Rubio, who faced criticism from the right over his work on the Senate bill, now backs a piecemeal approach that would begin with border security.

“I still believe we need to do immigration reform,” said Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants. “The problem is we can’t do it in one big piece of legislation. The votes aren’t there” in the House of Representatives.

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