[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 114 (Tuesday, July 21, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5179-S5180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IMMIGRATION
Mr. REID. This past weekend, Republican Presidential hopeful Donald
Trump did what he did best: He said something dishonest and really
distasteful. In speaking about the senior Senator from Arizona, he
mocked Senator John McCain, mocked his service in the Vietnam conflict.
He went so far as to say John McCain was not a war hero.
John McCain and I came to the House of Representatives the very same
day, both new Members of the House. He was representing a district in
Arizona and I my district in Nevada. We are neighbors. We served
together in the House. We came here to the Senate at the same time. He
is one notch ahead of me in seniority in this body because the State of
Arizona has more people than Nevada. That is how seniority is
determined, among other ways.
John McCain was a naval pilot and comes from a family who served our
country admirably in the military for decades--his grandfather and his
father. On one of his first missions to Vietnam, John McCain was shot
down and badly injured--broken back and arms. He was very badly hurt.
He was placed in a Vietnamese concentration camp, where he spent almost
6 years. About half of that time was in solitary confinement, and many
days and weeks of that were spent being punished, tortured, and
rebreaking parts of his body that had been broken.
John McCain, to me, is a hero. He is a person who has represented
this country admirably in the Congress. He was a Republican nominee for
President. America knows John McCain. I personally have some
disagreements on policy on an occasion or two with John McCain, but we
have never disagreed about our relationship. My relationship with
Senator McCain is one where I have great admiration for him, for his
strength of character, and for his moral courage in Vietnam.
In the aftermath of these remarks about John McCain, Republicans have
been falling all over themselves to criticize Donald Trump. But it
makes me wonder: Where were all these same Republicans when Mr. Trump
slandered millions? It was only a month ago that Trump said:
When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their
best. They're sending people that have lots of problems, and
they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing
drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists.
That is his quote.
When Trump insulted the Senator from Arizona, a Member of his own
party, Republicans could not denounce him fast enough, but when Trump
called immigrants ``rapists,'' there was nothing but silence--nothing
but silence. There is an ugly truth behind that silence, and it is
this: When it comes to immigration policy--and, frankly, most other
policy--there is no meaningful difference between the Republican Party
and Donald Trump. Consider the facts on just this one issue. Trump
rejects a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented. Instead, he
favors a system of merit that creates a road to legal status. He has
never ever said two sentences defining that.
We have heard before the same kind of talk from Republicans, those
running for President--I think we have 16 of them now.
Jeb Bush rejects the pathway to citizenship. He claims to support a
pathway to legal status but ``not necessarily citizenship.''
Scott Walker rejects a pathway to citizenship. He said, ``If somebody
wants to be a citizen, they need to go back to their country of
origin.''
The junior Senator from Texas also rejects a pathway to citizenship.
He said, ``I think that it is likely that there could be some
bipartisan solution to those who are here illegally if a path to
citizenship were taken off the table.''
Governor Chris Christie rejects a pathway to citizenship, too. He
said it is ``an extreme way to go.''
[[Page S5180]]
Trump wants to terminate President Obama's Executive actions on
immigration, tearing apart millions of families and deporting about
800,000 DREAMers. We have heard that before, too.
Jeb Bush also wants to repeal President Obama's Executive actions. On
FOX News, on the ``Hannity'' show, he said he would ``repeal Obama's
executive amnesty.'' That is a quote.
The junior Senator from Texas also wants to terminate the President's
Executive actions. Here is what he said: ``If I am elected president,
the very first thing I intend to do on the first day is rescind every
single unconstitutional or illegal executive action from President
Obama.''
Governor Chris Christie is actively opposing the President's
Executive actions. In fact, his State joined a lawsuit challenging
President Obama's actions.
The junior Senator from Florida also rejects President Obama's
Executive actions that keep families together. Senator Rubio's
spokesperson told one news outlet that ``immigration executive orders
won't be permanent policy under [a Rubio] administration.''
These are the facts. When it comes to immigration policy--and, as I
mentioned, sadly, most other policy issues--there is no daylight
between Donald Trump and the rest of the Republican field.
While the rest of the Republican Presidential hopefuls may not engage
in the same repugnant rhetoric, make no mistake--they are all on the
same page as Donald Trump.
If I ask each Republican running for President ``Name one difference
between your immigration policy and Trump's immigration policy,'' given
recent history, there will be a deafening silence.
When Trump insulted McCain, Republicans couldn't denounce him fast
enough, but when Mr. Trump called millions of hard-working immigrants
rapists and murderers, there was nothing but silence. Maybe this is
because none of the Republicans running for President can name a single
way in which they disagree with Trump's policies on immigration.
In the meantime, Democrats will continue to fight to pass
comprehensive immigration reform, just as we did more than 2 years ago.
We will continue to fight Republican piecemeal legislation that
criminalizes immigrant communities--whole communities--and we will
continue to fight for families who are constantly being scapegoated by
today's Republican Party.
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