President Obama on Tuesday took aim at Republican critics of immigration reform who claim border security provisions in the so-called Gang of Eight immigration bill are not strong enough to allow it to pass.
“This bill would be the biggest commitment to border security in our nation’s history,” he said in a statement at the White House.
“No one is taking border security lightly,” he added, touting his administration’s record deportations of undocumented immigrants.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who is up for re-election in 2014, said earlier Tuesday that the bill, which includes a path to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, needs “major changes” before it can become law.
“I’ll vote to debate it and for the opportunity to amend it, but in the days ahead there will need to be major changes to this bill if it’s going to become law,” he said on the Senate floor. “These include, but are not limited to, the areas of border security, government benefits, and taxes.”
