Sen. Lindsey Graham said that the Republican Party needed to pass more pro-immigrant policies — and quickly, because the GOP was facing a “demographic death spiral.”
He made the comments on a Sunday talk show, when he also said he favored Gov. Jeb Bush to run for president in 2016. He also said the GOP had a deep bench of potential candidates, though, including Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Paul Ryan.
“I think we’re going to have a political breakthrough; the Congress is going to pass immigration reform,” Mr. Graham said on NBC. “I think we’re going to get plus 70 [votes in the Senate]. I’ve never been more optimistic about it.”
Mr. Graham said eight years of President Obama policies would bring great wins for the Republican Party — but the key was immigration.
“But if we don’t pass immigration reform, if we don’t get it off the table and in a reasonable, practical way, it doesn’t matter who you run in 2016,” he said, Raw Story reported. “We’re in a demographic death spiral as a party. And the only way we can get back in good graces with the Hispanic community, in my view, is pass comprehensive immigration reform. If you don’t do that, it really doesn’t matter who we run in my view.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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