Fourteen Republicans joined all 54 Democrats in the Senate to pass a sweeping immigration bill that would transform the U.S.-Mexico border into “the most militarized border since the fall of the Berlin wall,” as John McCain said.
This statement at first sounds like a harsh criticism of the bill, but people soon realized he meant this comment as a selling point, as the Washington Post reports.
Though the Senate approved the bill in a 68-32 vote, GOP House leaders have promised to make alterations to the bill, according to NBC.
The legislation would add 18,000 federal agents and hundreds of miles of new fencing on the border between the U.S. and Mexico.
The significance of the occasion was marked by the presence of every Senator and Vice President Joe Biden, who rarely presides over Senate votes.
Senator Marco Rubio’s support of the measure was reportedly critical in gaining support of other Republican senators.
“Even with all our challenges, we remain the shining City on the Hill. We are still the hope of the world,” he said. “Go to our factories and fields. Go to our kitchens and construction sites. Go to the cafeteria of this very Capitol. There, you will find that the miracle of America still lives.”
“Today is another historic day in the Senate,” commented Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont.
“This legislation will reunite families. It will bring millions of people out of the shadows and into our legal system. It will spur job growth and reduce our deficit. And it will make us safer.”
Images: WikiCommons, WikiCommons
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