Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) said late Tuesday that he supports securing the United States border with Mexico with a double-tiered fence but voted against an amendment to the \u201cGang of Eight\u201d immigration bill that would have required exactly that.<\/p>\n
Rubio and his fellow Gang of Eight Republicans helped the Democrats kill an amendment from Sen. John Thune (R-SD) that would have required the double-tiered fence be built, as current law requires, before amnesty was granted to America\u2019s at least 11 million illegal immigrants. The only other Republican to vote against the amendment was Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).<\/p>\n
\u201cI support Senator Thune\u2019s efforts to require completion of double layered border fencing,\u201d Rubio said in a statement after voting against the amendment. \u201cProperly deployed, these fences have proven highly effective in limiting illegal crossings. That is why the current bill requires $1.5 billion be spent specifically on a border fence plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHowever, his amendment does not detail a specific border plan,\u201d Rubio claimed. \u201cTherefore, I opposed his amendment and instead continue to work with my Republican colleagues to arrive at a new measure that improves on the significant border security measures already in the bill.\u201d<\/p>\n
The amendment would have undercut Rubio\u2019s promise to Univision\u2019s Spanish-speaking audience this past weekend that amnesty would come before border security in the end. \u201cFirst comes the legalization. Then come the measures to secure the border.\u201d He added, \u201cIt is not conditional. The legalization is not conditional.\u201d<\/p>\n