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John McCain
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The bill's sponsors [McCain and Kennedy] are looking to jettison the three-tiered approach to citizenship included in last year's measure, which allowed undocumented immigrants who have been in the United States the longest to take a far easier path to citizenship than newer arrivals. That system would have made it all but impossible for anyone with fewer than two years' residence in the country to gain citizenship -- a circumstance that some officials warned would probably have kept the status of a substantial number of immigrants unclear.
"Amnesty is forgiveness. This is payment of a fine. This is admission of guilt. This is earned citizenship, that's what it is."
He supported the proposals in the Senate bill to allow illegal immigrants to obtain citizenship, after steps were taken to increase border security. He said the bill would 'establish a process by which our country will finally have a system that emphasizes immigrants that contribute to the economic and cultural growth of our nation, ending the practice of chain migration.'
The Googling monkeys discovered that McCain himself embraced the term during a news conference a few years ago in his office in Tucson, Ariz. 'McCain Pushes Amnesty, Guest-Worker Program,' reported the Tucson Citizen of May 29, 2003. The senator is quoted as saying: 'Amnesty has to be an important part because there are people who have lived in this country for 20, 30 or 40 years, who have raised children here and pay taxes here and are not citizens. That has to be a component of it.' The newspaper also quoted McCain as saying: 'I think we can set up a program where amnesty is extended to a certain number of people who are eligible and at the same time make sure that we have some control over people who come in and out of this country...'
"Some believe we should round them up and send them back. I don't know how you do that, and I don't know why you'd want to ... (the undocumented) have grasped the lowest rung of our ladder. They want to rise, and we should let them. Let them come out of the shadows, pay a fine, stay employed, pay taxes, and earn their citizenship. We all will be the better for it."
"Those undocumented workers who declare themselves, pass criminal background checks, prove their employment, pay fines, taxes, learn English and study American civics may be offered eventually, and I stress eventually, a path to citizenship. Critics of the bill attack this as amnesty and a special path to citizenship that is denied to lawful immigrants. Both charges are false."
"[W]e need to have a guest worker program.our proposal is basically you can get a tamper-proof visa after your job has been proven that it cannot be filled by an American citizen. Now, what do you do with the 11 million people that are already here?[M]ake them earn citizenship because they have broken our laws My friends, thats not amnesty. Amnesty is forgiveness. Were not forgiving anything."
Voted YES on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, which established an immigration guest-worker program
"We need a temporary worker program."
"I still believe we need a temporary worker program, we need to address the 12 million people who are here illegally."
Arizona Sen. John McCain and Congressmen Jeff Flake and Jim Kolbe, as well as the Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, are top pushers of a controversial guest worker program.
'Let me make it very clear: I have not changed my position,' he said at a house party in Milton. 'I still want a temporary worker program. I still think we shouldn't have 12 million people ... that we don't know who they are or what they're doing. But I understand that people want our border secured.'l
Voted YES on the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006, which called for a 370-mile fence along the Mexican border
"By the way, I think the fence is least effective. But I'll build the goddamned fence if they want it."
"I would continue the effort that we are making to beef up our borders. The reason why Arizona has more crossings illegally than any other part of all the rest-51% of all illegal crossings from Mexico to the United States are across the Arizona border and that is because we don't have the fences and we don't have the barriers that they have in California and Texas. And we are now working very hard to increase those. And by the way, it isn't just fences. It is also UABs, censors, other high tech equipment rather than just building walls as well...although, in urban areas, you need walls. So, I think we cannot relent or let up in building those security barriers across our borders."
Voted YES on the construction of a 700-mile fence along the US-Mexican border
"I am opposed to sanctuary cities. But the sanctuary city problem solves itself when you have comprehensive immigration reform."
Voted YES to amend the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to facilitate information sharing between federal and local law enforcement officials related to an individual's immigration status.
"I also would support what ICE has announced, what Chertoff and Gutierrez have announced they're going to do. The numbers don't match up to - on Social Security numbers. And people who then knowingly have employed - and by the way, these are not small businesspeople. They're exempted. But people who hire their people illegally and they don't have valid Social Security numbers, then they're going to be subject to prosecution."
He supported the Senate proposal to toughen employer requirements for verification of immigrant status. He also said the bill would 'put employers on notice that the practice of hiring illegal workers simply will not be tolerated.'
"To achieve our objectives, America needs the strong reform I've proposed that will: Strengthen the laws and penalties against those who hire illegal aliens and violate immigration law; Achieve and maintain the integrity of official documents to stop fraud, verify immigration status and employment, and enforce immigration law."
Q: The other night, Sunday night, I asked the eight Democratic presidential candidates whether or not they thought English should be the official language of the United States. Only one of them said English should be the official language of the United States. If there's someone here who doesn't believe English should be the official language of the United States, please speak up right now. A: I think it's fine. I would like to remind you that we made treaties with Native Americans such as the Navajos in my state, where we respect their sovereignty and they use their native language in their deliberations. It's not a big deal. But Native Americans are important to me in my state. Everybody knows that English has to be learned if anyone ever wants to move up the economic ladder. That is obvious.
Voted YES to amend title 4, United States Code, to declare English as the national language of the Government of the United States, and for other purposes.