Other than the Koch brothers, there is arguably no one outgoing-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid disdains more than the Tea Party. And no one represents the Tea Party in the Senate more than Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Yet, after hours of tedious wrangling, Reid on Friday agreed to allow a vote on a measure from Cruz questioning the constitutionality of President Obama’s executive order on Deferred Action, which does, in effect, grant de facto amnesty to upwards of 5 million illegal aliens.
Cruz told Breitbart News that a Senate vote on Obama’s executive action was important for two reasons:
“First, since President Obama enacted his unilateral amnesty after the elections, Democrats have never been made to answer for it.
Tonight, they will and they will show America whether they stand with a lawless President, who is defying the will of the voters or the millions of Americans who want a safe and legal immigration system.”
“Second, it allows Republicans to also show they are committed to ending Obama’s amnesty once and for all in the next Congress.
If we agree it is indeed unconstitutional, we have no business funding it when the GOP controls Congress last year. The Constitution matters, and we must defend it. That is why we have fought so hard to ensure this vote.” During Friday’s testy chess match between Reid and Cruz, along with Texas Senator Mike Lee, Reid sought unanimous consent to adjourn the Senate until Monday, when Senators were scheduled to vote on the CRomibus government- spending bill. Cruz and Lee objected to the unanimous consent vote.
Reid finally relented, and decided to keep the Senate in session over the weekend, during which time he agreed to allow Cruz’s point-of-order vote to proceed.
The vote, which occurred Saturday night, was expected to fail — Cruz knew it would – and it did. Unsurprisingly, all 53 Senate Democrats (along with 2 independents) voted against it. Surprising, so did all but 22 Republican Senators. (Cromnibus passed late Saturday night).
Even more surprisingly, with poll after poll continuing to show a majority of Americans opposed to Obama’s unilateral action on amnesty, 23 Republican Senators voted with the Democrats — and by extension, Barack Obama.
Now, Senate Democrats and Republicans are finally on the record over Obama’s unilateral move on amnesty. With 2016 right around the corner, Cruz got exactly what he wanted. From Harry Reid, of all people. Go figure.
