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Thursday, Apr 25, 2013 5:10 PM UTC

Dem Presidents praise Bush on immigration

President Obama and Bill Clinton lauded Bush for his support for immigration reform

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Topics: Immigration Reform, Immigration, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama,

Dem Presidents praise Bush on immigrationPresident-elect Barack Obama watches as then-President George W. Bush speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

At the dedication of the George W. Bush presidential library in Dallas, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama offered praise to Bush for his efforts on immigration reform.

“I want to thank you for your efforts, when president, to reform our immigration system, and keep America a nation of immigrants and I hope that Congress will follow President Obama’s efforts to follow the example you’ve set,” Clinton said.

President Obama expanded, lauding Bush’s “commitment to reaching across the aisle,” and his belief “that we have to repair a broken immigration system, and that this progress is only possible when we do it together.”

Obama continued:

Now seven years ago, President Bush restarted an important conversation by speaking with the American people about our history as a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. And even though comprehensive immigration reform has taken a little longer than any of us expected, I am hopeful that this year, with the help of Speaker Boehner and some of the senators and members of Congress who are here today, that we bring it home for our families, and our economy, and our security, and for this incredible country that we love. And if we do that, it will be in large part thanks to all the hard work of President George W. Bush.

Jillian Rayfield is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on politics. Follow her on Twitter at @jillrayfield or email her at jrayfield@salon.com. More Jillian Rayfield.

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