In his book, State of Emergency, Pat Buchanan argues for an “immediate moratorium on all immigration.” The purpose of moratorium, according to Buchanan, is for Americans to “debate and decide whom we wish to come and whether we wish to alter, or preserve, the ethnic religious composition of American.”
Today on CNN, John King asked Buchanan if he “wants to set a policy where only white english-speaking people can come to America.” Buchanan said that “the American people should decide who comes.” Buchanan added that he believes “we should favor folks from cultures and civilization that have been assimilated before,” i.e. white Europeans.
KING: Fairly provocative book here, Pat. I want to begin with something you say near the end of the book, where you call for a moratorium on immigration so that the government can think about what we should have as a policy. You say this: “The first imperative is an immediate moratorium on all immigration…. While it lasts, we should debate and decide whom we wish to come and whether we wish to alter or preserve the ethnic-religious composition of America. After all, America belongs to us, not the world.” There are some who would say: “Pat Buchanan wants to set a government policy where the white english-speaking people, they can come to America, others are left out.”
BUCHANAN: Pat would say the American people should decide who comes, John. We have 36 million immigrants in this country. 12 million folks here illegally. More illegal aliens than all the Jews, Irish and English who ever came. The American people want the border secured, and I think they support a time-out. But if you want a time out you have to have a certain number. As John F. Kennedy said 150,000 to 250,000. Who should decide who comes and what are the criteria? I do believe we should favor folks from cultures and civilization that have been assimilated before. But the purpose of the moratorium is like the moratorium we had from 1924 to 1965 — to assimilate, americanize and introduce all these folks to our language and culture, and history and heroes, and make ‘em Americans.