President Barack Obama yesterday campaigned for immigration legislation from the White House in advance of the Senate test vote on the bill that is asking for over $30 billion of additional security measures at the US-Mexico border and offers a chance at citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrants who are currently living in the United States.
Conservative critics of the bill, who are vastly outnumbered by supporters, have nonetheless been attacking without respite in electronic appeals and speeches. “It will encourage more illegal immigration and must be stopped,” says Senator Ted Cruz, who has been urging his supporters to get in touch with their own senators and beg them not to oppose the measure.
Following three weeks of heated debate, the end game appears to be close at hand in the US Senate in what is the most ambitious effort to overhaul the country’s immigration system for several decades. Supporters are increasingly confident that they have over 60 votes necessary to get the measure over one of the most important hurdles toward passing the Senate by the end of the week.
While Democrats are united on the issue, that is not the case with Republicans, however; a fact demonstrated by the divide between potential 2016 Presidential candidates. Senator Marco Rubio is very much in favor of the bill, but Senators Cruz and Paul are most assuredly not. Passing the Senate would see the US immigration bill sent to the House of Representatives.