The Washington Times
President Bush yesterday said he plans to spend political capital this year to force a debate in Congress on his immigration-reform proposal, and boldly predicted that he will prevail.
"I believe the president has got to set big agenda items and solve big problems," the president told editors and reporters of The Washington Times in an interview in the Oval Office. "Obviously, we're going to have to work on it, just like Social Security. This will require the expenditure of capital."
Asked whether he will move forward this year with his immigration-reform plan — which critics say amounts to amnesty for an estimated 8 million illegal aliens in the United States — Mr. Bush said: "Yes. Yes, I will." And asked where his proposal ranks in a second-term agenda already overflowing with big-ticket issues from reforming Social Security to overhauling the U.S. tax code, he said: "I think it's high. I think it's a big issue."
Posted by Suzanne at January 12, 2005