UPDATE: RUBIO RESPONDS – Mark Levin says he has a bone to pick with Marco Rubio

(SEE UPDATE BELOW)

Mark Levin said on his show tonight that he needs to have Marco Rubio on his show so he can ‘politely discuss’ comments Rubio is said to have made to reporters today in Las Vegas.

According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, Rubio called for Congress to pass a Homeland Security funding bill “without conditions” because, according to Rubio, “we can’t let Homeland Security shut down.” By recommending this, Rubio is conceding the fight over Obama’s illegal amnesty funding.

Levin explained on his show yesterday that even if the funding bill fails to pass, Homeland Security will not shut down, that over 200k of their 231k federal employees will continue to work because they are classified as ‘essential employees’ and are paid later.

Levin says that Rubio has embraced the misinformation put out by the Left and that he and his colleagues should know better.

Listen below:

 
 
UPDATE: Rubio’s office responded to Mark Levin during one of his breaks, saying that the Las Vegas Review Journal got his comments wrong and will update their article. Here is a transcript of his full comments, provided by Rubio’s office:

“Yeah, we have to fund homeland security. Look, I’m in favor of any measure that has a chance of succeeding that could stop the new order, but the truth of the matter is the president’s not going to sign it and we don’t have the votes to pass it in the Senate. We can’t let homeland security shut down.

DACA and the new one are different. What I’ve said about DACA is that people that have already signed up, that program’s gonna – I’m not talking about repealing that program today. I think it would be very disruptive to yank DACA away from people who are already working and have received their permits. Even though I don’t agree with it, it would be disruptive to do that.

What I’ve talked about repealing is the new order that’s been issued, but I think we need to do this legislatively. I still think we have to deal with that issue, but the only way to deal with that issue is in three steps. We do not have the votes or the support to do it in a comprehensive fashion. We’ll have to do it in three steps. Step one is to show the American people that we’re serious about bringing future illegal immigration under control. Step two is reforming our legal immigration system so that it works better. So it’s less costly, more efficient and better for our country. And step three is dealing reasonably with the people that have been here for a long period of time, have not otherwise violated our laws, allowing them to come forward, undergo a background check, pay a fine, and in return receive a work permit. They’ll have to be in that status for about ten years and after that, they’ll be allowed to apply for permanent residency. But we have to do it in those steps. That’s the only way possible moving forward. There’s been three efforts to do it in a comprehensive bill, and all three have been met with failure here in the last decade.

Well there’s been efforts to go to a vote on the DHS issue, and I think that’s a place where we can perhaps put in place step one of the three step process. Unfortunately, so far the Democrats refuse to give us the votes necessary to go on the bill. By the rules of the Senate, you need 60 [votes] to begin debate and without the 60 votes to begin debate, they won’t even give us the 60 votes to begin debate on the topic.

DACA: Eventually that program has to end. It cannot be the permanent policy of the United States. What I’m not advocating is that we cancel it right now at this moment because you already have people that have signed up for it. They’re working, they’re going to school. It would be deeply disruptive. But at some point, it has to come to an end. It can’t be the permanent policy. And my hope is that it would come to an end because it’s replaced by a permanent solution like the one I’ve outlined through the three step process.”


Comment Policy: Please read our comment policy before making a comment. In short, please be respectful of others and do not engage in personal attacks. Otherwise we will revoke your comment privileges.