The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday adopted a substitute amendment to immigration reform legislation with a strong bipartisan margin, signaling which Republicans are most likely to support the bill.
Only four Republicans voted against the substitute amendment, which expands the legislation to 867 pages and increases funding for implementation of reform by $900 billion. It passed by a margin of 14-4.
Sens. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), the ranking Republican on the panel, Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) voted against the substitute, which sponsors characterized as a bundle of technical fixes.
Four Republicans on the panel voted for it: Sens. Orrin Hatch (Utah), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), John Cornyn (Texas) and Jeff Flake (Ariz.). Flake and Graham are members of the Gang of Eight, which crafted the bill.
Hatch has been eyed as a possible Republican swing vote, and his vote Thursday showed he is more sympathetic to the legislation than some of his GOP colleagues.
