{"id":11521,"date":"2016-01-13T16:08:21","date_gmt":"2016-01-13T21:08:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/live-immigrationreform.pantheonsite.io\/?p=11521"},"modified":"2018-12-28T13:48:44","modified_gmt":"2018-12-28T18:48:44","slug":"speaker-paul-ryan-claims-he-opposes-amnesty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.immigrationreform.com\/2016\/01\/13\/speaker-paul-ryan-claims-he-opposes-amnesty\/","title":{"rendered":"Speaker Paul Ryan Claims He Opposes Amnesty"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"5446901600_7b50c0e954_o\"<\/a>No, this is not a headline from the faux news outlet The Onion<\/i><\/a>. Appearing on CNN\u2019s \u201cThe Lead,\u201d House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) dismissed the charge from GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump that Ryan is weak on immigration. \u201cPeople who know my record know that I\u2019m for border enforcement, border control, not for amnesty,\u201d the Speaker insisted<\/a>. If you watch the video of the exchange with host Jake Tapper you will see that Ryan has a straight face while making the immigration claim.<\/p>\n

Yet, a review of Ryan\u2019s Capitol Hill career, including time as a staffer, shows how preposterous the Speaker\u2019s assessment of his immigration position is. As the Washington Times\u2019 Stephen Dinan noted<\/a> in 2012 when Ryan was Mitt Romney\u2019s running mate:<\/p>\n

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As a staffer in Washington, he worked for Jack Kemp and Sen. Sam Brownback \u2013 both of whom were part of the Republicans\u2019 pro-immigration wing, and who fought crackdown efforts from within their own party\u2026 As a congressman, he voted for a 2002 legalization bill, praised the 2006 Senate [amnesty]bill back by Mr. Bush and co-sponsored a 2009 Democratic bill that would have legalized [illegal]immigrant farmworkers.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Ryan\u2019s more recent legislative history is even worse on immigration. Indeed, during the 2013 Senate Gang of Eight \u201ccomprehensive\u201d immigration reform push, Ryan was the main promoter in the House. Facing heavy criticism for that role from conservatives and the American people, Mark Zuckerberg\u2019s pro-amnesty FWD.us launched a $350,000<\/a> ad campaign defending Ryan. The ad opened, \u201cAmnesty? Not a chance,\u201d while claiming that Ryan was looking for a \u201cconservative solution\u201d to immigration reform.<\/p>\n

FAIR countered with its own ad campaign<\/a> criticizing Ryan for catering to illegal aliens at the expense of his constituents.<\/p>\n

Paul Ryan has a multi-decades long history of consistently supporting amnesty. By his comments on CNN, he must think the American people are na\u00efve on the issue.