Rubio vows to pass immigration reform

“I won’t abandon this issue until it’s done, until we get a bill passed,” Rubio said, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Rubio’s commitment to the Gang of Eight was called into question this week after he said on the Hugh Hewitt radio show that he wouldn’t vote for the bill he co-authored in its current form. Rubio and many Republicans believe the Senate bill needs a stronger focus on border security.

{mosads}Rubio has also questioned whether the Gang of Eight legislation has enough votes to pass the Senate, where immigration reform supporters need a strong showing to build momentum for the bill.

“I’m working as hard today on immigration reform as I ever have,” he added. “That’s what I’m committed to trying to accomplish, and that’s what I’m spending all of my time on, figuring out how we can get a bill that passes the Senate and serves as a starting point to get it passed in the House as well.”

As the most high-profile Republican in the Gang of Eight, Rubio’s support is critical for the bill’s chances, not only in the Senate but also in the House, where Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has said he will not just “take up and pass” the Senate bill.

Rubio was one of a dozen Senate Republicans who traveled to the House side of the Capitol this week to present their cases to the conservative Republican Study Committee.