The support of 67 senators from both parties for a so-called “border surge” deal on Monday strongly signaled that a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws will clear the Senate later this week.
The amendment, from Republican Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and John Hoeven of North Dakota, cleared a procedural vote in the Senate 67-27. Fifteen Republicans voted in favor of cloture, and zero Democrats broke from their party to oppose the measure.
The overwhelming vote Monday accelerates the Senate momentum for immigration reform as its supporters race toward a self-imposed July 4 deadline to pass the bill. The Gang of Eight authors have inched closer to a supermajority of votes that could be as high as 70 after the group struck a deal with Corker and Hoeven that bolsters security resources for the U.S.-Mexico boundary.
