U.S. State Attorneys General

As I said, it is budget cuts, budget cuts that have left the Social Security Administration without enough resources to serve the public the way Social Security should and the way Americans want the program they have paid for to serve them.

We understand that whatever changes we make are going to have an impact, positive or negative, on a lot of Americans.

The best thing for working families... is a growing economy and remaining competitive internationally.

The Tax Code right now, in my view, is a barrier to that.

I think it allows our priorities to be where they ought to be in terms of enforcement.

I think there are probably some ways that we can allow for these kinds of family members to come in

I would like to continue to work with the Members of the Committee and with all of you to seek improvements on the family provisions.

I am concerned that this bill will no longer provide a meaningful opportunity for U.S. citizens to petition for their siblings.

I believe that the new merit-based visa system will exclude many immigrant family members from reuniting with their U.S. citizen siblings.

I do not think it is fair to characterize those of us who think we should restore the rule of law as saying we are resisting immigration.

We have an executive branch that is ignoring the statutes that this Congress has written.

The status quo, to the degree that this administration, and, frankly, others, have deliberately chosen not to enforce the law, that is kind of a de facto amnesty, yes.

I think this is a huge loophole, and I do not think the DHS Secretary should have this immense discretion.

Second, new immigration laws should serve the needs of the American economy.

Comprehensive immigration reform should be guided by three basic principles: First, America must always remain in absolute control of its borders.

We all say we want to preserve Social Security. This is about making sure for our kids and our grandkids, it is working as well as it has worked for our parents and grandparents.

To cut benefits, to discuss a budget deficit caused by unpaid for wars or tax cuts that went to very wealthy folks, that is just putting it on the backs of seniors.

I just said today using Social Security funds to pay for deficits that it did not cause is the problem.

Complete and utter nonsense.

The longer we wait, the closer we get to the edge of the cliff, the fewer options we have.

Social Security currently has about a $2.7 trillion surplus.

I think I would be on very safe ground to say anyone who says Social Security is broke or bankrupt is lying because the facts show just the opposite.

Any time someone says to you Social Security is broke or bankrupt or causing our deficit, I will say emphatically here that is contrary to the evidence.

I plan to work with the chairman and others on this committee to get congressional consent for these amendments.