Reports about Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, calling for Republicans to pass a "clean" bill to fund the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), thus implementing President Barack Obama's immigration executive actions, has been clarified by the senator's office.

During a trip to Las Vegas promoting his book "American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunities for Everyone," Rubio was heard stating Congress should pass legislation to fund the DHS without conditions which would impact Republican efforts to stop Obama's immigration executive actions.

Rubio's office, however, provided a transcript of his statement regarding DHS funding.

"Yeah, we have to fund Homeland Security," Rubio said. "Look, I'm in favor of any measure that has a chance of succeeding that could stop the new [executive] order, but the truth of the matter is the president's not going to sign it and we don't have the votes to pass it in the Senate. We can't let Homeland Security shut down."

Based on the transcript, Rubio identified Obama's two deferred action programs as "different" from each other. Rubio said, "I think it would be very disruptive to yank DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) away from people who are already working and have received their permits. Even though I don't agree with it, it would be disruptive to do that."

Rubio does want help repeal the second deferred action program known as the Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA), which would grant eligible undocumented immigrant parents of a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent child to temporarily avoid deportation, for three years, by obtaining a work permit.

Rubio suggested the best method to stop DAPA is through legislation, but he is aware of the lack of votes from fellow lawmakers.

The Florida senator said three steps are required to halt DAPA's implementation. The first step is to address Americans about lawmakers' intent to control illegal immigration. The second step is reforming the legal immigration system, specifically a less costly yet more efficient method. The final step is "dealing reasonably" with immigrants who have lived in the U.S. "for a long period of time," who have not violated the country's laws and allowing such individuals to undergo a background check, pay a fine and then receive a work permit. According to Rubio, after 10 years, undocumented immigrants would be allowed to apply for permanent residency.

Rubio does want DACA to "eventually" end.

"[DACA] cannot be the permanent policy of the United States," Rubio said.

"What I'm not advocating is that we cancel it right now at this moment because you already have people that have signed up for it. They're working, they're going to school. It would be deeply disruptive. But at some point, it has to come to an end. It can't be the permanent policy. And my hope is that it would come to an end because it's replaced by a permanent solution like the one I've outlined through the three step process."

As Latin Post reported, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 240, which would fund the DHS for the 2015 fiscal year, but amendments were attached to defund Obama's immigration executive orders. When H.R. 240 was introduced in the Senate, Democrats filibustered and the bill has yet to be debated. As a result of the Senate gridlock, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has called for the House to introduce new legislation to fund the DHS.

Speaker of the House John Boehner, R-Ohio, does not appear to introduce another DHS funding bill. During an interview on Fox News Sunday, Boehner said, "Congress just can't sit by and let the president defy the Constitution and defy his own oath of office. So the House acted. Now it's time for the Senate to act." He noted if DHS funding expires, the fault would be on Senate Democrats and not Republicans.

"Senate Democrats are the ones putting us in this precarious position, and it's up to Senate Democrats to get their act together," Boehner said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif., and Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., introduced a "clean bill" to fund the DHS without amendments erasing Obama's immigration executive actions. The new bill, H.R. 861, comes as Roybal-Allard acknowledged, "The Senate has definitively demonstrated that there are insufficient votes to bring up a DHS funding bill containing the House-passed poison pill riders. The clean, bipartisan, full-year DHS funding bill we are offering addresses the most pressing needs of the Department as it works to protect our country from harm. The President would sign that bill today, and we should send it to him."

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For the latest updates, follow Latin Post's Michael Oleaga on Twitter: @EditorMikeO or contact via email: m.oleaga@latinpost.com.

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