Rand Paul Says There May Be Way Forward on Immigration

Despite the key role immigration appeared to play in the upset defeat Tuesday of House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul insists Republicans and Congress must move ahead on reform.

“The status quo needs to change and the current situation is untenable,” Paul told reporters in a conference call Wednesday sponsored by the Partnership for a New Economy, a bipartisan group of local officials and business leaders pushing for changes to the nation’s immigration laws.

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He said he backs reform that would tie the security of the borders to the “normalization” of undocumented immigrants already in the country, as well as steps to ensure a realistic work visa program and safeguards against voting fraud.

The Senate has approved an immigration bill that differs from Paul’s proposals, but the House GOP is divided over whether to proceed with its own measure.

“If you want immigration reform, there has to be openness to compromise,” Paul said. “There still could be a pathway forward for immigration reform.”

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Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform, who moderated Paul’s call with reporters and wants Congress to change immigration laws, also cautioned against interpreting Cantor’s defeat as a conservative rejection of reform.

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