John McCain on Immigration
Republican Sr Senator (AZ); '00 Primary Candidate for President
Make possible for immigrants to do a job Americans won't do
Things are terrible, and we've got to fix it. But we're not going to fix it until we have comprehensive immigration reform. When there's a demand, there's going to be a supply. There are jobs that Americans will not do, so we have to make it possible for someone to come to this country to do a job that an American won't do and then go back to the country from where they came.
Source: AZ Senate Debate, in Tucson Citizen Oct 16, 2004
Give everyone in the world an opportunity to come to America
Those who live closest are the ones who can get here. Everyone in the world should have the opportunity through an orderly process to come to this country.
Source: AZ Senate Debate, in Tucson Citizen Oct 16, 2004
No more ballot initiatives against immigration
Yes, we need to control our borders. No one argues with that. Just ask the recent immigrant who came here legally and is the first to be knocked off the ladder of opportunity by illegal immigrants. But we don’t need ballot initiatives that make people think we want them to abandon their hopes because some of us don’t believe the American Dream is big enough to share anymore.
Source: Landon Lecture at Kansas State University Mar 15, 1999
More help for legal immigrants when immigrating & once here
McCain supports the following principles regarding immigration:
Increase the eligibility of legal immigrants for certain social programs
Provide extra federal aid to states with higher numbers of immigrants for necessary medical and social services
Prohibit states from passing laws that deny human services to illegal immigrants or their children
Increase the immigration quota for computer scientists and other information technology workers.
Source: Project Vote Smart, 1998,
www.vote-smart.org Jul 2, 1998
Voted YES on allowing more foreign workers into the US for farm work.
Vote to create a national registry containing names of U.S. workers who want to perform temporary or seasonal agricultural work, and to require the Attorney General to allow more foreign workers into the U.S. for farm work under H-2A visas.
Bill S.2260 ; vote number 1998-233 on Jul 23, 1998
Voted YES on visas for skilled workers.
This bill expanded the Visa program for skilled workers.
Status: Bill Passed Y)78; N)20; NV)2
Reference: The American Competitiveness Act; Bill S. 1723 ; vote number 1998-141 on May 18, 1998
Voted YES on limit welfare for immigrants.
This amendment would have restored food stamp benefits to the children of legal immigrants
Status: Motion to Table Agreed to Y)59; N)41
Reference: Motion to table Kennedy Amdt #429; Bill S.947 ; vote number 1997-111 on Jun 24, 1997
English immersion over bilingual education.
McCain adopted the Republican Main Street Partnership agenda item:
[The Republican Main Street Partnership supports giving priority to] examining new ways to increase the English fluency of limited English proficient students. Currently, priority is given to instruction programs that provide for bilingual education, which combines proficiency in the studentís native language with English instruction. Recently, however, education research has suggested that English immersion -- not bilingual instruction -- may be the most effective way to help students become proficient in English. Native language requirements in current law must change to reflect this reality and new instruction methods must be pursued with an eye toward regular evaluation and improved English language acquisition.
Source: 2001 GOP Main Street Partnership Action Agenda for Education 01-RMSP1 on Jul 2, 2001
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