Immigration Reform News 2013: Bill Passes First Vote, 82-15, Despite Conservative Intransigence

The bipartisan immigration reform bill passed its first test on the floor of the Senate today, receiving an impressive 82 votes in favor of cloture, which allows the bill to move on to the next phase of debate.

Every Democrat in the Senate voted for the bill. They were joined by 27 Republicans, many of whom are still very much on the fence about the final fate of the bill and many of its proposals, but who nevertheless are still interested in hearing what their colleagues have to say.

But 15 Republicans voted no, steadfastly refusing to even consider the bill in open debate. Most of the conservative senators unilaterally opposed to immigration reform or a path to citizenship for many of the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the country fall into this group.

They include the Canadian-born Cuban American Ted Cruz, who, in an interesting bit of projection, blamed President Obama for any immigration impasse, stating, "The biggest obstacle to passing common sense immigration reform is President Barack Obama. A path to citizenship is the most divisive aspect of this bill. And the White House is insisting on it."

"The path the White House is going down, I believe, is designed for this bill to fail," Cruz said. "It is designed for it to sail through the Senate and then crash in the House to let the president go and campaign in 2014 on this issue."

Of Republicans voting in favor of the bill, several stand out, as well. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire supported it, as she said she would yesterday, though she felt the need to justify her vote in a lengthy position paper on her website.

Rand Paul of Kentucky also voted in favor of continuing debate. He's a bit of a wild card, with his libertarian views heavily influencing his vote.

And Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voted to move the bill forward, though he has satted he wants to amend several key provisions before he is willing to actually support it.

A full list of the senators voting "No" on the immigration bill, all Republican: John Barrasso (Wyo.), John Boozman (Ark.), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Ted Cruz (Tex.), Mike Enzi (Wyo.), Charles E. Grassley (Iowa), James Inhofe (Okla.), Mark Kirk (Ill.), Mike Lee (Utah), James Risch (Idaho), Pat Roberts (Kan.), Tim Scott (S.C.), Jeff Sessions (Ala.), Richard Shelby (Ala.) and David Vitter (La.).

Here is the complete voting roll.