Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Sunday suggested that the future of comprehensive immigration reform was in his hands because he is "the conduit" between moderate Republicans in the Senate and far-right conservatives in the House of Representatives.
Fox News host Chris Wallace pointed out to Paul during a Sunday interview that comprehensive reform would not be possible if he continued to oppose a new path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S.
Paul, however, insisted that he was "willing to compromise" by allowing undocumented immigrants "to get in the same line" as foreigners outside the U.S., but he would not create a new pathway.
"The whole point is there needs to be a conduit," he explained. "I am the conduit between the conservatives in the House who don't want a lot of these things and more moderate people in the Senate who do want these things."
"I want to make the bill work, but see, the thing is, what they have in the Senate has zero chance of passing in the House. So, why not come to a conservative like myself and say, 'He's willing to work with you. Why not work with me to make the bill closer to what would be acceptable in the House?'"
"So, I'm really trying to make immigration work. But they're going to have to come to me, and they're going to have to work with me to make the bill stronger if they want me to vote for it."
