Here is what the incoming Republican minority whip and Ranking member of the Immigration sub-committee in the Senate had to say about reform.
Quote:
On the hot-button issue of immigration reform, Senate Republicans are in a tough spot. Even if they show political courage and can cobble together a plan, they risk being undercut by the Republican House, which could well kill legislation.
Most eyes have been on Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), but Cornyn and others (even Sen. Rand Paul [R-Ky.]) may be better-suited to carry the ball. Cornyn says, “I come from the perspective of my state. We’re a third Hispanic.” He call it a “demographic necessity” for Republicans to expand their appeal with Hispanics. (In a specific criticism of Romney, he notes, “He got pushed to the right on immigration in the primary and never made it back.”) He says immigration reform is not a cure-all for Republicans. He cautions that in courting Hispanics, “The first thing you have to do is show up. You have to demonstrate respect.” And he points to education, social issues and pro-business policies as other issues that Republicans should be using to expand their appeal.
But he comes back to the tone and the substance of immigration policy. He visibly recoils when he repeats some of the catch-phrases that turn off Hispanics — “self-deportation” or “attrition.” He is optimistic that with border security and work-site enforcement there should be a “straightforward solution” to dealing with the 12 million undocumented immigrants already in the country. He recalls that in 2005 he and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) introduced an immigration bill that “still looks pretty good.” He says matter of factly of the prospects for immigration reform, ”A lot of work has been done on this. We know what the range of choices are we need to find a way to advance it.”
