Many Senate Democrats have said they won’t support final passage of the GOP-led Laken Riley Act without amendments. If the vote on the first Democrat-offered amendment is any indication, their resolve may be put to the test.
While an amendment sponsored by Sen. John Cornyn passed with bipartisan support, one introduced by Sen. Chris Coons that would have struck part of the immigration bill’s provisions empowering state attorneys general failed in a 46-49 vote — endangering the bill’s ultimate passage.
“I don’t think they do enough to get it where it needs to go,” Sen. John Hickenlooper, who previously voted to proceed to the bill, said before the amendment vote on Wednesday. “Now, I’m going to vote for the amendments, but I’m not going to vote for the bill.”