In a statement to The Fact Checker, Schumer confirmed Cruz’s bill was viewed as a poison pill: “This was an attempt to kill the bill, and there was no doubt at the time that Senator Cruz knew it would do exactly that.â€
It’s important to remember the political climate at the time. The bipartisan Gang of Eight and its coalition seemed poised to get the landmark reform bill passed through Congress, and the hard-liner rejectionist was out of favor, said Frank Sharry, executive director of the immigration-reform group America’s Voice. Sharry said he believed Cruz was “creating mischief and attempting to undermine the bill by peeling off Republican votes for the Gang of Eight bill,†but positioning himself to the right of Rubio while supporting immigration reform.
Cruz, Lee, and one or two others were as anti-illegal immigrant as was practically possible then. The worst Cruz can be accused of now would be having to exist in the same political environment as everyone else.