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COLUMBIA -- Governor Mark Sanford today issued the following statement on the Senate’s passage of their immigration “reform” bill:

“We’ve had meetings, numerous phone calls and letters back and forth with Senate Republicans over the past couple of days about the need for a strong electronic verification system , but it’s clear now that while many in the Senate talk the talk on this front, few walk the walk,” Gov. Sanford said.

“The failure by the Senate Republicans to pass the kind of bill we talked about is made worse by two things. One, the so-called filibuster that led to this compromise makes a complete mockery of what most people understand filibuster to mean. If Senate Republicans really wanted reform, they should have made the Democrats hold the floor until midnight, the next day, or the day after that. But this ‘done in time for cocktail hour’ filibuster really calls into question how serious some Republicans ever were about reform.

“Two, once again the Senate failed to take a recorded vote on this compromise -- a form of political cowardice that’s all too common in Columbia in the way it doesn’t let voters see which Senators to hold accountable for their actions. One might suggest that the only alternative is for every voter who cares about meaningful immigration reform to hold the entire Senate accountable until individual Senators have the courage to stand up and make known what they believe.

“In contrast, we’re confident that the House, unlike the Senate, will follow through in passing the type of bill they’ve said they would -- one that contains e-verify, without the loopholes. In that regard, I’d once again compliment Chairman Harrison, Speaker Harrell and others in the House who’ve worked so hard to make sure that immigration ‘reform’ in our state is in fact immigration reform.”

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