Top National Republican Donors Call for Immigration Reform

CONTACT
Ryan Williams, New American Economy, [email protected]

Fernandez, Puzder, Zwick, Norquist push 2016 presidential candidates and congressional Republican leaders to support immigration reform this year

WASHINGTON DC – Today, Republican donors Spencer Zwick, Mike Fernandez, and Andrew Puzder joined Grover Norquist to call for action on immigration reform.

Zwick, Fernandez, and Puzder have been active in the Republican Party as donors and fundraisers. Zwick, who was recently described in the press as “the architect of Romney’s groundbreaking 2012 fundraising operation,” served as National Finance Chairman in Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign. Puzder served as an economic advisor to the Romney campaign. Fernandez has been a key supporter of former Florida governor Jeb Bush. In November last year, they joined more than 100 other Republican donors in a letter to Republican members of Congress that called for the newly-elected Republican majorities to take action on immigration reform.

“There are both economic and political reasons why Congress and the 2016 presidential hopefuls should push for immigration fixes this year,” said John Feinblatt, Chairman of New American Economy. “The fiscal reality is that inaction on immigration laws undercuts economic growth and job creation, and puts the United States at a competitive disadvantage. The political reality is that the need to reform our immigration system is not going away – and anyone interested in winning future national elections can’t ignore the issue.”

“The reality we are facing on immigration is simple: if we don’t soon fix our broken system, our nation’s economic growth will be severely limited,” said Spencer Zwick, Founder and Managing Partner of Solamere Capital, and Romney for President National Finance Chairman. “We need to institute a better immigration system that will create more jobs and opportunities for Americans than ever before, and Republicans running for president should make it a priority.”

“Entrepreneurs like myself should be encouraged to move here and contribute to the U.S. economy,” said Mike Fernandez, Chairman of MBF Healthcare Partners, and a major Republican donor and fundraiser. “Our country’s economy offers many opportunities, yet partly because of our broken immigration system we are nowhere near maximizing our full potential. Immigration reform is essential to catapult our economy into new heights, with sustainable and distinguishable growth.”

“Fixing our broken immigration system is the right thing to do,” said Andrew Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants, and Romney for President Economic Advisor. “America should be a destination for hard-working immigrants from all over the world. Our economy will benefit from that. It is time for Republicans in Congress to be leaders on this issue, secure our borders and implement conservative, free-market solutions for our immigration system.”

“Our broken immigration system is one of the most serious problems facing our country, as it hinders economic opportunities across America,” said Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform. “Like most Americans, these Republican leaders support substantive immigration reform. Passing reform legislation will not only be good for our economy and increase American national security, it is also essential for Congressional Republicans to show voters that they are ready to lead on this important issue. Presidential hopefuls should also be embracing this important issue and supporting meaningful reform.”

Today’s teleconference is part of a series hosted by New American Economy and moderated by Grover Norquist.