White House press secretary Jay Carney said Monday that last week’s deadly bombings at the Boston Marathon and the ensuing manhunt should not hinder momentum for immigration reform.
Carney said the Obama administration echoes the sentiments of Sens. John McCain (R-AZ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Marco Rubio (R-FL), three GOP members of the so-called “Gang of 8” who have argued that last week’s events in Boston should not derail their efforts to overhaul the nation’s immigration system. Responding to lawmakers who have contended that the attack in Boston should give reform advocates pause, the White House spokesman said that the immigration proposal will “enhance national security.”
“Well, I think we agree with what some of the co-authors of the bill, including Sens. McCain, Graham and Rubio, which is that one of the positive effects and one of the reasons we need comprehensive immigration reform is that it will enhance national security,” Carney said. “We need to move forward with this bipartisan legislation.”
