On Wednesday Senator Marco Rubio called for Congress to pass a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) beyond the end of this month but without the conditions attached that block President Obama’s executive actions on immigration reform.
The Republican senator, who is tipped as a potential presidential candidate for 2016, says that national security is too vital to have its funding held up, even though he personally disagrees with the president’s decision to enact immigration reform via executive action. “Yeah, we have to fund Homeland Security,” Rubio said at a news conference, adding: “We can’t let Homeland Security shut down.” The Florida Republican says that Obama, whose bill would protect undocumented immigrants from deportation and enable them to receive work permits, has promised to veto the bill if it passes the Senate, which does not look likely to happen.
Rubio called on Congress to pass a DHS funding bill devoid of any attachments regarding immigration reform. His comments followed his appearance at a North Rainbow Boulevard Barnes & Noble bookshop, where he was signing copies of his new book American Dreams, Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone.
At the signing Rubio was faced with a number of immigration advocates who wanted to know why he is against the deferred action program. Rubio claims that he is not against the program’s aims so much as Obama using executive action rather than a legislative solution passed by Congress.