Sen. Rubio Aide: American Workers 'Can't Cut It'
An article that will be published in the June 24, 2013 issue of The New Yorker magazine reports that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) sided with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on the issue of a guest-worker program for the construction industry. Construction workers and the unions opposed an expanded guest-worker program unless it was tied to the unemployment rate, but the Chamber of Commerce was concerned that since unemployment rates tend to be higher in the industry, it would be a road block to the temporary visas.
The New Yorker article didn't quote Sen. Rubio, but did quote on of his aides who said:
There are American workers who, for lack of a better term, can't cut it. There shouldn't be a presumption that every American worker is a star performer. There are people who just can't get it, can't do it, don't want to do it.
The article, written by Ryan Lizza, examines the behind-the-scenes negotiating that's being done in an effort to pass the Schumer-Rubio-Obama amnesty bill, S.744. The article also notes that Pres. Barack Obama has been deeply involved with the negotiations.
[A] senior White House official insisted that Obama's role in overseeing details of the bill has been more significant than is generally known. "No decisions are being made without talking to us about it," the official said of the Gang of Eight negotiations ... "This does not fly if we're not O.K. with it, because everyone knows this is going to pass with some Republicans but with a majority of Democrats, and it's going to require even more Democrats in the House."
For more information, see The New Yorker.