Politics

Schumer on Rubio: ‘I think the world of him’ [VIDEO]

Jeff Poor Media Reporter
Font Size:

New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer praised the work of his Republican colleague, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, on Thursday’s broadcast of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.”

The interview with Stephen Colbert was taped before the 68-32 vote in favor of the “Gang of Eight” immigration bill, but aired at 11:30 p.m. ET on Thursday.

“He’s done a good job,” Schumer said. “He really has. And he’s taken a lot of arrows, but he believes in this, and he’s doing the right thing. I think the world of him.”

Schumer was hopeful House Speaker John Boehner will give the Senate bill an opportunity to be voted on, though Boehner has said he will not bring the bill to the House floor without a majority Republican support.

“I think there’s gonna be a lot of pressure on the House to actually get the bill done,” Schumer replied. “I know there are a lot of conservative Republicans who don’t want to vote for it, fine. Put it on the floor of the House and let the Democrats pass it with some Republicans, and America will be a better place. So I’m hopeful that’s what Speaker [John] Boehner will eventually do.”

Schumer stuck by the “trigger” provisions of the legislation when asked by Colbert if the bill will be different than past immigration bills in which not all parts of the law were carried out.

“That’s the kind of trigger we do have in the bill. In other words, the security mechanisms as well as the mechanisms that prevent illegals, future illegals from getting jobs, all of those things have to be in place before people can become legalized and work, those 11 million. But they can’t get their green card until those things are actually in place.”

Follow Jeff on Twitter