Cruz, Rubio Get into Epic Battle over Their Respective Immigration Positions
BARTIROMO: "Under current law, the U.S. Is on track to issue more new permanent immigrants on green cards over the next five years than the entire population of South Carolina. The CBO says your 2013 immigration bill would have increased green card holders by another 10 million over 10 years. Why are you so interested in opening up borders to foreigners when American workers have a hard enough time finding work?"
RUBIO: "First of all, this is an issue that’s been debated for 30 years, and for 30 years, the issue of immigration has been about someone in this country, maybe here illegally, but they're looking for a job. This issue is not about that anymore. First and foremost, this issue has to be more than anything else about keeping America safe. And here’s why, there’s a radical jihadist group that is manipulating our immigration system, and not just green cards. They’re recruiting people that enter as doctors, and engineers, and even fiancees, they understand the vulnerabilities we have on the southern border, they’re looking to manipulate the visa waiver countries to get people into the United States. So our number one priority must now become ensuring that ISIS cannot get killers into the United States. Whether it’s green cards or any other form of entry into America, when I’m president, if we do not know who you are or why you are coming, you are not going to get into the United States of America."
BARTIROMO: "So your thinking has changed?"
RUBIO: "The issue is a dramatically different issue than it was 24 months ago. Twenty-four months ago, 36 months ago, you did you not have a group of radical crazies named ISIS burning people in cages and recruiting people to enter our country legally. They have a sophisticated understanding of our legal immigration system, and we now have an obligation to ensure that they are not able to use that system against us. The entire system of legal immigration must now be reexamined for security first and foremost with an eye on ISIS. Because they’re recruiting people to enter to this country as engineers, posing as doctors, posing as refugees. We know this for a fact. They contacted trafficking networks in the western hemisphere to get people in through the southern border. They got a killer in San Bernardino posing as a fiancee. This issue now has to be stopping ISIS entering the United States, and when I’m president, we will."
CRUZ: "Maria? Radical Islamic terrorism was not invented 24 months ago. Twenty-four months ago, we had Al Qaeda, we had Boko Haram, we had Hezbollah, we had Iran putting operatives in Central America, South America. It’s the reason why I stood with Jeff Sessions and Steve King and led the fight to stop the gang of eight amnesty bill. It was clear then like it’s clear now that border security is national security."
BARTIROMO: "Thank you, senator."
CRUZ: "It is also the case that that Rubio-Schumer amnesty bill, one of the things it did, it expanded Barack Obama’s power to let in Syrian refugees, it enabled the president to certify them en masse without mandating meaningful background checks. I think that’s a mistake. That’s why I’m leading the fight to stop it, and I would note, the Senate a few weeks ago voted to suspend refugees from Middle Eastern countries. I voted yes to suspend that. Marco voted on the other side. You can’t say we need to secure the borders and at the same time, try to give give Barack Obama more authority to allow Middle Eastern refugees coming in when the head of the FBI tells us they cannot vet them to determine if they are ISIS terrorists."
RUBIO: "Maria, let me clear something up here. This is an interesting point when you talk about immigration. Ted Cruz, you used to say you supported doubling the number of green cards, now you say that you’re against it. You used to support a 500 percent increase in the number of guest workers, now you say you're against it. You used to support legalizing people that were here illegally. Now you are against it. You used to say you were in favor of birthright citizenship. Now you say that you are against it. Not just on immigration, you used to support TPA, now you say you are against it. I saw you on the Senate floor flip your vote on crop insurance because they told you it would help you in Iowa. And last week we all saw you flip the vote on Iowa for the same reason. That is not consistent conservatism. That is political calculation. When I am president, I will work consistently to keep this country safe, not call Edward Snowden, as you did, a great public servant as you did. Edward Snowden is a traitor. If I get my hands on him, he is standing trial for treason. One more point: Every single time there has been a defense bill in the Senate, three people team up to vote against it. Bernie Sanders, Rand Paul and Ted Cruz. In fact, the only budget you have ever voted for, Ted, in entire time in the Senate is a budget from Rand Paul that brags about or cuts defense. Here’s the bottom line, if I’m president of the United States and Congress tries to cut the military, I will veto that in a millisecond.
CAVUTO: "Gentlemen, gentlemen —"
CRUZ: "I’m going to get a response to that, Neil. There’s no way he’s going to launch that. He had no fewer than 11 attacks there. I appreciate your dumping your oppo research folder on the debate stage."
RUBIO: "It’s your record."
CRUZ: "I will say at least half of the things Marco said are flat-out false. [Booing] Absolutely false. Start with immigration. Let’s start with immigration and have a little clarity. Marco stood with Chuck Schumer and Barack Obama on amnesty. I stood with Jeff Sessions and Steve King. Marco stood today, stand on this stage Marco supports legalization and citizenship for 12 million illegals. I opposed and oppose legalization and citizenship. And by the way, the attack he keeps throwing out on the military budget, Marco knows full well, I voted for his amendment to increase military spending to $697 billion. What he said and said it in the last debate, it’s simply not true. And as president I will rebuild the military and keep this country safe."
