Just How Close Was The 2014 Amnesty Vote? - Here’s The Back Story...
The senate Gang of Eight comprehensive immigration reform bill, which included amnesty legislation was not blocked by Ted Cruz nor Marco Rubio - it specifically passed the senate because of them, not despite them.
On Tuesday June 10th Speaker Boehner, Eric Cantor (Majority Leader) and Kevin McCarthy (Majority Whip) had lunch together discussing timing the vote Thursday night or Friday Morning.
However, later that same night the results from the 2014 Virginia primary showed an unknown conservative outsider, Dave Brat, had defeated (primaried) Eric Cantor. At 7:00pm Tuesday night the first word went out that Cantor had lost.
Boehner, McCarthy and Cantor were STUNNED beyond belief.
The next day, Wednesday June 11th, the House of Representatives was also in a state of shock - Almost the entire reason for the defeat was the controversial immigration position of Cantor.
Immediately panicked GOP congresscritters were calling Kevin McCarthy and revoking their previous (2 days earlier) positions of support for the bill. By lunchtime Wednesday June 11th it was obvious the Immigration Bill was NOW DEAD in the House.
That’s how close it was. Literally within hours of a vote for passage.
Amnesty didnt die because of Senator Ted Cruz or anything he did or didn’t do. The gang of eight bill had already passed the senate.
Amnesty died exclusively because candidate Dave Brat beat House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Period.
Cruz, Session, and Lee knew they couldn’t stop the bill in the Democrat Controlled Senate. Their amendments were designed so that the democrats would reject them and show House Republicans how extreme this bill was. You are correct though that for a while it looked like they were fighting a losing battle and the election of Dave Brat helped to turn the tide.
Bump that
SYBOS
Those of you who accept the honest Senator Sessions’ word on this matter...you’re right.
Those of you who are trying to say Cruz was FOR the Amnesty bill, you’ve managed to delude yourselves. Cruz not only led the fight against it in the Senate (where he couldn’t prevail because of the numbers of ‘RATS & RINOs for it, Cruz also unofficially marshalled House opposition for it and met frequently with constitutional conservative members of the house devising strategy on how to defeat it.
A number of you are VERY gullible...or intentionally OBTUSE because of your support for a candidate other than Cruz.
The Gang of 8 Bill was defeated in 2013. Cantor was defeated in the primary a year later.
Interesting Back Story!
I’m disappointed in Sessions. Sessions also voted for the Corker bill, which was also a big disappointment.
Back to Cruz. All Cruz had to say is that he has refined his views since 2013. And the criticism would be mild at best. He did support a compromise back in 2013, but he and his supporters tell us that we can’t believe our own eyes and ears.
What did we do without you? You seem to know it all.
“Amnesty died exclusively because candidate Dave Brat beat House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Period.”