First Major Family Reinforcement Amendment Blocked From A Fair Vote, "Smoke And Mirrors" Amendment Passes Instead

Press Release

FIRST MAJOR FAMILY REINFORCEMENT AMENDMENT BLOCKED FROM A FAIR VOTE, "SMOKE AND MIRRORS" AMENDMENT PASSES INSTEAD

This evening, Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ) used a Senate rule to block an up-or-down vote on the Menendez-Hagel amendment, a major family reunification amendment. The Senate actually voted 53-44 to waive Sen. Kyl's budget point of order against the amendment, but 60 votes were needed. Amendment #1194 regarded the inclusion of more legal family visa applicants in the backlog-clearing process.

Soon after, the Senate voted in favor of a "side-by-side" backlog amendment that could severely limit the number of legal family visa applicants to receive visas.

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) released the following statement:

"Republicans overwhelmingly voted to take away the right of American citizens and legal residents to legally reunify their families. It's too bad they didn't put their votes where they say their values are.

"Families would have won if given a fair up-or-down vote, but Republicans had to use procedural tactics. I am deeply disappointed that they cherry picked this well-intentioned, family-values amendment to block.

"The amendment that passed instead is pure smoke and mirrors. Its supporters say the right things, but in reality thousands of family members of American citizens and legal residents who are playing by the rules will be kicked out of line and put behind even those who have broken the law.

"Opponents of the original backlog amendment may have started us down a slippery slope by using a procedural tactic to block this family-values amendment. Just as a budget point of order was raised in this case, one can be raised in regard to the entire immigration deal. That is an action I will consider."

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