'Meet the Press' transcript excerpt for Jan. 4, 2008
Senate Majority Leader ,Senator Harry Reid,
Talks about Immigration Reform
MR. GREGORY: Let me ask you about politics. This is what you told Roll Call
two days after the election of Barack Obama. "Reid said he believes the newly
elected senators will feel, as he does, that the country voted for
moderate--not liberal--policies. ... `I think the country has moved to the
center,' Reid said. `I think people want us to get things done.'" Let me test
that proposition. On immigration, do you have a deal between the
president-elect and Senator McCain for immigration reform?
SEN. REID: John McCain--a day or two after the election, I called John. We've
served--we came to Washington together in 1982. We've been together in the
House and we came to the Senate together. And we talked about the campaign.
We had both said things about each other that probably we shouldn't have, but
we did. He's my friend. He said, "Harry, I, I want to come back to the
Senate. We want to do some good things. I want to work with you."
MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm.
SEN. REID: "We need comprehensive immigration reform." That was a conversation
I had with John McCain. Yes, we need comprehensive immigration reform. And
what does that mean? It means we have to make sure our borders are protected,
our northern and southern borders. We have to do something about the millions
of people here who are undocumented. We have to put them on, on a pathway to
legalization. Does that mean that they get to the head of the line? Of course
not. They'd have penalties and fines and learn English and stay out of
trouble. We have to also do something on a guest worker program and we have to
do something about the employer sanctions that works. John McCain believes that
should happen. I believe that should happen. That's...
MR. GREGORY: And he's discussed it with the president-elect?
SEN. REID: I don't...
MR. GREGORY: McCain has?
SEN. REID: I don't know, but he's discussed it with me.
MR. GREGORY: Mm-hmm. You think you've got a deal, a prospect of a deal.
SEN. REID: I have, I have John McCain's word that he's going to work real, real
hard on immigration reform.
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