In N.H., Rubio slams Democrats on Homeland Security Bill

HOLLIS, N.H. — Marco Rubio, making his first trip of the 2016 presidential cycle to New Hampshire on Monday, ripped into Minnesota Sen. Al Franken and half a dozen other Democrats who expressed reservations about President Barack Obama taking executive action on immigration last year only to vote against GOP attempts to undo his orders.

The Florida Republican missed the Senate’s latest vote on Department of Homeland Security funding to promote his recent book, including a town hall meeting here in a red barn that’s been converted into a community center. Rubio touched on everything from the economy to Hillary Clinton’s Wall Street ties, but he was especially animated when discussing the efforts to reverse the executive actions, which some in the GOP are trying to tie to the DHS funding bill.


“I don’t believe we should pass a clean DHS bill,” Rubio told a crowd of around 100. “It’s very difficult to pass anything now because of the Democrats. They won’t let us get to 60 votes.”

Rubio, who at one point fondly recalled his first trip to New Hampshire to campaign for Bob Dole in 1996, took 13 questions over an hour. His outspokenness on the DHS funding issue helped neutralize the concerns of some conservative activists who came to the meeting to challenge him over his support for comprehensive immigration reform two years ago.

“Here’s what we should have started doing weeks ago,” he said. “We should call attention to the six or seven Democrats who last fall said they were against the executive order … and now they’re hiding behind the bill.”

Rubio said “there’s not been enough attention paid to … the Al Frankens of Minnesota and the other people who ran for reelection saying ‘I don’t agree with the executive order.’”

“What they’re filibustering is not even the bill,” he said. “What they’re filibustering is to begin debate on the bill. That’s outrageous. If we do that, it’s called a shutdown. If they do that, it’s called we’re shutting down the government. No matter what, it’s us shutting it down. When we filibuster, we get accused of shutting down the government. When they filibuster, we get accused of shutting down the government, too.”

“We’ve got to respond to that hypocrisy,” he added.

Franken, who was up for reelection last year, said in September that he had “concerns about executive action.” A spokesman did not immediately comment Monday.

After spending time in Hollis on Monday, Rubio rode in a white Dodge Caravan with Florida plates to a Barnes & Noble book signing in Manchester. There, he signed books for about half an hour, did a media availability and talked with local reporters.

“I look forward to talking to you again many, many more times,” he said.

Asked by a Republican at the town hall meeting about Rudy Giuliani’s comment last week that Obama does not love America, Rubio said he disagrees but also praised the former New York City mayor personally.

He got a good reaction from the crowd for saying that the firestorm over Giuliani’s comments is evidence of bias in the mainstream media.

“If you’re a conservative who believes in limited government, every game that we play is an away game,” he said. “You’re not treated the same.”

“First of all, let me just say up front, I love Rudy Giuliani,” Rubio added. “I have tremendous respect for Rudy Giuliani. … When I was running for the Senate, and not a lot of people thought I could win, Rudy Giuliani was one of the few people in America who came down and helped me in the initial stages, and I’m always grateful for it.”

He went on: “I believe the president loves his country. I just believe his ideas are bad for America. But here’s my bigger point: I’m not comparing Rudy Giuliani to Joe Biden, but every single day, Joe Biden says something that would end my career if I said it once.”

“Absolutely,” a man yelled, and the crowd applauded.

“And I never hear Democrats having to answer for him,” Rubio said. “So I just wonder why is it that I always have to answer for someone else in my party? Rudy Giuliani is allowed his opinion. He’s a big boy. He’s a strong man. He can defend himself. So I do think that points to some of that bias.”

Rubio heavily emphasized economic mobility and foreign policy in his remarks.

“These are real challenges we face, but they’re not insurmountable,” he said. “As great as our past has been, our future can be even better.”

The Floridian, who looks increasingly serious about running for president instead of reelection to the Senate, also sounded some populist tones, criticizing big businesses who get tax breaks and corporate welfare from the government.

“If Hillary Clinton runs for president, she will get more money out of Wall Street than any presidential campaign ever,” Rubio said of the likely 2016 Democratic front-runner. “And that’s a fact! And part of the reason is because many of these industries feel very comfortable with her there. … These are the sorts of things we need to talk about more, because this misconception has been created that somehow big government helps the people who are trying to make it. And nothing could be further from the truth.”