A day after Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) offered to “debate anybody” who labeled the bipartisan immigration bill currently being considered as amnesty, a leading conservative think tank appeared eager to accept the House Budget Committee chairman’s challenge.
Michael A. Needham, chief executive officer of Heritage Action For America, wrote Thursday that the Senate bill brought forward by the so-called Gang of Eight does indeed amount to amnesty.
“Chairman Ryan offered to ‘debate anybody who tries to suggest that these ideas that are moving through Congress are amnesty,'” Needham wrote. “That is a conversation we would welcome.”
Speaking at an immigration forum Wednesday, the former Republican vice presidential nominee went to bat for the immigration reform effort.
“I will debate anybody who tries to suggest that these ideas that are moving through Congress are amnesty,’ Ryan said. “They’re not. Amnesty is wiping the slate clean and not paying any penalty for having done something wrong.”
