Tea Party Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas today promised to add an unconstitutional amendment to the immigration reform bill — which he opposes — in response to a Supreme Court voter ID decision handed down today.
LOOK: Supreme Court Strikes Down Arizona’s ‘Prove You’re A Citizen First’ Voter Law
The Court ruled an Arizona law that mandated prospective voters prove they are American citizens before being able to register to vote is unconstitutional. Cruz promised to introduce legislation that would — despite the Court’s ruling — allow states to mandate that prospective voters prove they are American citizens before being able to register.
I’ll file amendment to immigration bill that permits states to require ID before registering voters & close this hole in fed statutory law.
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) June 17, 2013
“Cruz has also filed amendments to bar undocumented immigrants currently living in the United States from ever becoming citizens and to ensure green card recipients are not eligible for public assistance even after a five-year waiting period outlined in the current bill,” David Edwards at The Raw Story notes.
No word yet on how that would derail the immigration reform bill, which is seen as moving forward but very tenuous.
Yesterday, GOP Senator Lindsey Graham on Meet The Press lamented if the GOP doesn’t “pass immigration reform, if we don’t get it off the table in a reasonable, practical way, it doesn’t matter who you run in 2016. Â We’re in a demographic death spiral as a party and the only way we can get back in good graces with the Hispanic community in my view is pass comprehensive immigration reform. Â If you don’t do that, it really doesn’t matter who we run in my view.”