Cruz Campaign Press Release - ICYMI: Washington Examiner: The facts on Rubio, Cruz, and immigration

HOUSTON, Texas – Today, the Washington Examiner's Byron York wrote about the facts of the immigration records of Ted Cruz, who played a critical role in killing the Gang of Eight amnesty bill, and Senator Marco Rubio, who joined in a secret agreement to kill any substantive amendments to the bill and "still supports a path to citizenship." The full article may be read here and excerpts appear below:

Washington Examiner

The facts on Rubio, Cruz, and immigration

Byron York

Then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid allowed just a handful of amendments to reach the Senate floor. One, from Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, would have prohibited the legalization of illegal immigrants in the United States until after the administration could prove it had maintained "effective control" of the borders for six months.

Rubio voted against the Grassley amendment. Sen. Ted Cruz voted for it.

Another Republican amendment, from Sen. John Thune, would have required the completion of 350 miles of fencing along the U.S. border that Congress had ordered in 1996 but had never been completed...

Rubio voted against the Thune amendment. Cruz voted for it.

The other substantive GOP amendment allowed by Reid was from Sen. David Vitter. It would have delayed the granting of legal status until a biometric visa identity system first ordered by Congress in 1996 had been "fully implemented at every land, sea, and airport of entry" into the United States.

Rubio voted against the Vitter amendment. Cruz voted for it.

...

Under a pre-arranged plan, the gang, including Rubio, agreed to kill any amendments they felt would threaten their legislation.

"The eight met in private before each committee hearing, hashing out which amendments they would support and which oppose as a united coalition," the Washington Post reported in May 2013. "Senate aides said amendments were rejected if either side felt they would shatter the deal."

...

The Gang of Eight bill came up for a final Senate vote on June 27, 2013. Rubio, as a key author of the legislation, voted for its passage. Cruz voted against it.

...

It remains unclear where Rubio stands on the thousands of other provisions in his 1,197-page Gang of Eight bill. In five Republican presidential debates, he has been asked exactly one question about the substance of the bill. (The question was whether Rubio still supports a path to citizenship; he does, while Cruz doesn't.)