Mitt Romney to Address Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Vows to Fix Immigration

Today, Romney is scheduled to address the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Los Angeles.

In excepts of his speech released by his campaign, Romney vows to permanently fix the nation's immigration system.

"For years, Republicans and Democrats seem to have been more interested in playing politics with immigration than with actually fixing it," Romney is expected to say. "Candidate Obama said that one of his highest priorities would be to fix immigration in his first year in office. Despite his party having majorities in both house of Congress, the President never even offered up a bill. Like so many issues confronting our nation, when it comes to immigration, politics has been put ahead of people for too long."

However, Romney did not get into the specifics of how he would work with Democrats and Republicans on the approach to repairing the U.S. immigration system.

Romney is expected to tell the audience that America must first get control of its borders, it will never achieve a legal immigration system that is fair and efficient.

"I believe we can all agree that what we need are fair and enforceable immigration laws that will stem the flow of illegal immigration, while strengthening legal immigration," Romney is expected to say. "America is a nation of immigrants, and immigration is essential to our economic growth and prosperity."

Romney will also use the opportunity to talk about the economy.

"I expected the President, at his convention, to talk about the unemployed and to unveil a jobs plan," Romney will say. "Astonishingly, he did not. I have a plan, and my plan for a stronger middle class will create 12 million jobs by the end of my first term. And it will raise take home pay."

The national unemployment is 8.1 percent and Hispanic unemployment is over 10 percent.

"Over two million more Hispanics are living in poverty today than the day President Obama took office," Romney is expected to say. "In 2008, candidate Obama promised us a world of limitless hope. What we got instead is a world where hope has painful limits - limits that make it harder to start a business, to grow a business, or to find a job."

Romney said his plan is premised on the conviction that it is freedom that drives our economy-that free people, creating free enterprises, is what creates good jobs with good wages.

"Government supports the job creators, but it cannot take their place," Romney will say.

Romney will also say that "President Obama's spending poses a threat for businessmen and women, and Hispanics."

"Many Hispanics have sacrificed greatly to help build our country and our economy, and to leave for their children a brighter future," Romney will say. "Today, those sacrifices are being squandered by a President who cannot stop spending."

Romney promises to sharply increase the productivity of Washington by reducing federal government employment by 10 percent through attrition, by combining agencies and departments to reduce overhead, and by linking government compensation with that of the private sector. According to him, these things combined will reduce spending by $500 billion a year by the end of his first term.