Gang Of Eight All Over Again? Congressional Republicans Attend Immigration Event

Six Republican Congressmen are set to attend an “immigration reform” event on Thursday, hosted by the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC).

Event Designed To Push “Bipartisanship On Immigration Reform”

The ABIC has billed the event this week as an effort to build “bipartisanship on immigration reform,” saying that the effort to do so is “more important than ever.”

Attendees will be able to hear from “elected leaders on the path forward in 2021.”

Six Republican congressmen will be attending the event: Senators Marco Rubio, Thom Thillis, and Susan Collins, along with Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart and Will Hurd. Four Democrat Senators will also be there: Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Bob Menendez and Chris Coons.

As such, conservatives could be reminded of the Gang of Eight, with the latter originally including Rubio, Menendez, Schumer and Durbin, who pushed for amnesty in 2013 under President Obama.

RELATED: Report: Biden Would Reverse Trump Immigration Reforms, Re-Implement Obama-Era Policies

Rubio’s Office Denies He Is Attending Event To Push Amnesty

However, while the website argues the event is designed to push immigration reform, Marco Rubio’s office denied his participation had anything to do with that agenda.

“This is literally fake news,” tweeted Rubio’s Chief of Staff Mike Needham in response to an article about the event from Breitbart.

“We are giving a prerecorded video on the need to renew the Paycheck Protection Program.” The PPP has helped American families during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Rubio did not participate in any immigration discussions,” a spokesman for Rubio said.

“He delivered a video message on the need to restart the Paycheck Protection Program, which is currently being blocked by Democrat leaders in Congress.”

It is unclear at the time of writing why the other Republicans are attending the event, or why Senator Rubio delivered remarks about PPP at an event ostensibly about immigration.

On the policy front, Joe Biden has made it clear that mass amnesty for illegal immigrants will be a priority during his first 100 days.

“I’m going to make a commitment in the first 100 days, I will send an immigration bill to the United States Senate with a pathway to citizenship for over 11 million undocumented people in America,” Biden vowed during an NBC interview last week.