TIME:
By Zeke J. Miller
May 5, 2014
The
Vice President used a Cinco de Mayo speech to push House Speaker John
Boehner to push back against parts of the Republican base who are
holding up comprehensive immigration
reform
Vice
President Joe Biden demanded Monday that House Speaker John Boehner
“stand up” to those in his party who oppose immigration reform.
Speaking
at a breakfast celebrating Cinco de Mayo, Biden highlighted the
progress made by Hispanic Americans and made the economic and moral case
for immigration reform,
saying it would be a “shot in the arm” when the country needs one.
“It’s
time for John—he’s a good man, John Boehner—to stand up and other
Republicans to stand up,” Biden said. “Not for us to stand up. We’ve
already stood up. We’ve been
right there. We stood up. It’s time for him to stand up, stand up at
not let the minority—I think it’s a minority—of the Republican Party in
the House keep us from moving in a way that will change the
circumstances for millions and millions of lives.”
Biden
also stood by his assertion earlier this year that the more than 11
million illegal immigrants in the United States are already Americans.
Republicans pounced on
the comments at the time.
“And
I know I was criticized for saying a couple of months ago in Florida
that these 11 million folks in the shadows are already Americans and I
got pretty roundly criticized
for that,” he said. “But they are Americans. They may not be citizens,
but they are Americans. In the definition of Teddy Roosevelt, he said
Americanism is not a question of birthplace or creed or line of descent,
it’s a question of principles, idealism, and
character. And I would argue that those 11 million folks who have been
here breaking their neck, working hard, they are Americans.”
As
he made a roll call of the notables in the room, he pointed to
Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, who made a reference to Biden’s appearance
in an HBO-produced video at
the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday, to which the Vice
President replied, “Anyway, I just wish I could have kept that
Corvette.”
For more information, go to: www.beverlyhillsimmigrationlaw.com
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