Bill O'Reilly called it. Monday on Fox News, "The O'Reilly Factor" host said the Stop Sanctuary Cities Act would not get very far, thanks to politics. Democrats successfully blocked the measure in a vote of 54-45 Tuesday, preventing the bill from reaching the 60-vote threshold.
Sen. Ted Cruz, who cosponsored the bill, said his fight against illegal immigration would not end on the Senate floor.
“Today, the Senate had an opportunity to send the message that defiance of our laws will no longer be tolerated. While Senate Democrats chose partisan loyalty over protecting the lives of Americans, I will continue fighting to stop illegal immigration.
“Defiance of our immigration laws is inexcusable. Sanctuary cities and the illegal reentry offenders that they harbor are a threat to the safety of the American people. And they must end now.
The fact that anyone can vote against this common sense bill after Kate Steinle was senselessly murdered this summer by an illegal immigrant drug offender who had been deported five times, is unnerving. Yet, 54 of our senators did.
The White House would have been no help. Should the bill have passed the Senate, the Obama administration would have vetoed it.
The White House argues the measure would harm “the ability of law enforcement to keep communities safe across the country and impede our efforts to safely, fairly, and effectively enforce the nation's immigration laws.”
Explain that to Ms. Steinle's family.