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发帖数: 61690 | 1 Former President George W. Bush waded ever so gently into the fierce debate
in Washington over immigration reform, urging lawmakers to reach a "positive
resolution" on the issue, and warning against disparaging immigrants.
"We can uphold our tradition of assimilating immigrants, and honoring our
heritage of our nation built on the rule of law. But we have a problem. The
laws governing the immigration system aren't working; the system is broken."
Former President George W. Bush delivers remarks Wednesday at a
naturalization ceremony at his presidential library in Dallas, Texas.
Speaking Wednesday morning at a naturalization ceremony for new citizens
held at his presidential library, Bush refused to comment specifically on
the legislative battle that has enrapt the Capitol and beguiled many of the
former president's fellow Republicans.
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But Bush, who sought similar legislation during his presidency that would
have offered undocumented immigrants a pathway to U.S. citizenship, spoke
warmly about the positive contributions of immigrants.
"I don't intend to get involved in the politics or the specifics of policy,
but I do hope there's a positive resolution to the debate," he said. "And I
hope, during the debate, we keep a benevolent spirit in mind, and we
understand the contributions immigrants make to our country."
His comments come as House Republicans gather in Washington to mull their
response to comprehensive immigration reform legislation passed last month
by the Senate. The debate carries significant political implications;
Republicans have lost ground with Hispanic voters since Bush's re-election
in 2004. And the Hispanic vote has only grown in strength and influence,
prompting some in the GOP to argue that passing immigration reform is
essential to ending the party's bleeding with those voters.
Bush seemed to gently reference Republicans' concerns, which involve
complaints that the Senate-passed legislation does little to enforce the
security of the border between the United States and Mexico.
"We're also a nation of laws. And we must enforce our laws. America can be a
lawful society and a welcoming society at the same time," he said.
The fate of immigration reform seems to rest now with House Republicans, who
have all but rejected the bipartisan Senate legislation crafted
painstakingly over the course of months. The House GOP will meet Wednesday
to mull the issue, though the lawmakers seem largely unmoved by the words of
the last Republican to win the presidency.
The House has suggested that, if anything, they might move along elements of
immigration reform in bits and pieces, beginning with legislation to beef
up border security. But such an effort may well stymie Bush's hope for a "
positive resolution" to the issue of immigration, since Democrats have
insisted that greater border enforcement be linked to measures offering
undocumented workers a pathway to citizenship.
Bush had been a vocal proponent of legislation that would have offered
undocumented immigrants a pathway to citizenship during his second term. His
bid to reform the nation’s immigration rules was turned aside, though,
when many conservatives in Congress balked at supporting such an effort,
which they regarded as “amnesty” for those who came to the United States
illegally. Many critics of the current immigration overhaul have said the
same thing about the current legislation. |
