Mitt Romney On Midterms: Republican Senate Would Pass Conservative Immigration Bill

A Republican-controlled Senate would pass a conservative immigration bill that would secure the border and make immigration policy “more open and transparent,” former GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney told “Fox News Sunday” this weekend. Romney also said Republicans may not win a Senate majority in the midterm elections Tuesday, but would “gain a lot of seats.” In addition, he spoke about the possibility of a run for president in 2016.

“You’re going to see a provision, first of all, to secure the border,” Politico quoted Romney as saying. “Second of all, to deal with those who come here illegally. And third, to make sure our immigration policies are more open and transparent… that’s going to happen. You’re going to see a bill actually reach the desk of the president if we finally have someone besides Harry Reid sitting in the Senate. So we’re going to get it done.”

Republicans are favored to come out on top in the elections for the House of Representatives Tuesday, when all 435 seats are in play, the New York Times reported. Meanwhile, there are 36 Senate seats up for grabs, and 21 of those are held by Democrats. Republicans need to take at least six seats to gain majority control of the Senate.

Romney said House Republicans previously resisted passing an immigration bill because they wanted to wait until the GOP had won a majority in the Senate so they could pass a more conservative bill. “I think Republicans in the House were looking at what was coming from the Senate saying, ‘You know what? We can do better if we pick up more seats in the Senate,’” the Huffington Post quoted the former Massachusetts governor as saying. “I can’t tell you whether we’re going to win the Senate, but we’re going to pick up a lot of seats and we have a lot better prospect of having a piece of legislation which deals with the issue in the way I described.”

Romney said he would not run for president in 2016. Despite his insistence he would not run, he led Republicans in an Iowa poll for 2016 nominees with 17 percent of Republicans choosing him over potential candidates such as U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, Reuters reported. Former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had a commanding 60 percent among Democrats in that poll, with U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts second with 17 percent.

Meanwhile, Romney has appeared in an advertisement supporting challenger Republican Scott Brown over incumbent Democrat Jeanne Shaheen in a U.S. Senate race in New Hampshire. “This election is America’s last chance to pass judgment on President [Barack] Obama’s record,” he said in the ad. “He’s not on the ballot, but his biggest support in the Senate is: Jeanne Shaheen. Scott Brown will lead us in a new direction.”