Senate GOP Looks Set to Embrace Amnesty

On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee began its mark-up of the Gang of 8's immigration legislation, considering more than 300 amendments filed on the bill. Supporters of the Gang's amnesty legislation have a working 12-6 majority on the committee, ensuring that most Republican amendments to strengthen the bill will be rejected. In a telling first vote, however, two GOP Senators joined GOP "Gang" members and all committee Democrats to pass, by a vote of 14-4, a substitute amendment to the bill. It was a clear sign that the eventual bill will attract significant GOP support, absent a public outcry. 

The first amendment offered on the "Gang" bill was a "managers' amendment" offered by lead sponsor NY Sen. Chuck Schumer. The amendment made a number of technical changes to the bill and effectively replaced the existing nearly 900 page proposal. The language was first unveiled last week. Sens. Cornyn and Hatch joined Gang members Graham and Flake and all committee Democrats to pass the substitute. 

Schumer's amendment went beyond technical changes, however. It added almost 30 pages of legislative language to the proposal. It even created a new class of visa, allowing former immigrants on agricultural work visas who returned to their home country to immediately apply for legal status in the US. This isn't a provision to bring illegal immigrants "out of the shadows," but rather provides an entirely new stream of migration back into the US. The votes by Sens. Cornyn and Hatch to support the substitute suggest that a large number of Republican Senators will eventually support the Gang's amnesty legislation.