by Mike Flynn 22 Apr 2013, 8:26 AM PDT
breitbart.com



On Monday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is holding a marathon hearing on immigration reform. Breitbart News will bring you the latest information from inside the Committee and across the news on the issue. Check back for regular updates.

[UPDATE: 16:09 EDT] Sen. Sessions Responds to Sen. Rubio "Fact Check"

From Breitbart News' Matt Boyle inside the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing:

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) accused Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), a member of the bipartisan “Gang of Eight," for making an inaccurate statement about him via a press release “fact check.”

Last week, Sessions told NewsMax: “We are talking about legislation that will impact virtually every aspect of our society, reshape our entire immigration system, introduce at least 30 million new foreign workers into the economy, and directly impact every single American worker and taxpayer.”

On Saturday, Rubio issued a press release accusing Sessions of peddling a “myth” and Rubio tried to give the “facts” instead.

“Currently one million people legally immigrate to the United States every year – more than any other nation in the world and a key reason our nation, even with a retiring Baby Boomer generation, does not face severe aging demographic problems like Japan, Russia, and much of Europe,” Rubio’s office said.

“We also currently have about 11 million undocumented people living in the United States who are never leaving because they have families, jobs and roots in our communities. Under our proposal, those living here illegally will be allowed to apply for permanent residence in 10 years once we clear out the current backlog for about 5 million foreigners waiting to legally immigrate to the United States – a long-delayed process this legislation will finally correct. This legislation does not significantly increase long-term, annual migration to the United States, and will dramatically decrease illegal immigration thanks to new border security and immigration enforcement laws. Bottom-line: the size of the future population of the United States will not be significantly impacted by this legislation.”

Rubio did not provide any details to counter Sessions’s estimate.

During Monday’s Senate Judiciary Committee, Sessions shot back at Rubio.

“I believe Senator Rubio issued a fact-check today that said my statement that 30 million people would be legalized is not accurate,” Sessions said. “First, I want to ask all the others who support the bill, what is the number that will be legalized?”

Sessions then counted out loud how he reached 30 million. “Amnesty itself would provide legalization for about 11 million. The backlog is 4.5. According to the Los Angeles Times, the future flow would be 50 percent of all future flow and that would be about 15 million. So, over 10 [years], that’s around 30.”

“Krikorian, you want to comment on that?” Sessions asked Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies.

“Well I haven’t done the numbers. But it makes sense,” Krikorian responded.

“Is anyone promoting numbers?” Sessions asked the entire panel.

None of the pro-Gang of Eight witnesses or the anti-Gang of Eight witnesses spoke.

“I think that’s one of the issues I think people have is getting actual numbers,” Krikorian soon answered.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Governm...igration-fight