Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) voted to fund President Obama's executive amnesty during the lame-duck session contrary to his earlier statements. He was one of several Senators who had come out against the president's actions, but then voted much differently.
These Senators, including Senator McCain had an opportunity to back up their rhetoric with action when Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) raised a "point of order" challenging the constitutionality of the president's executive action while the Senate debated the 2015 spending bill.
While 21 other Senators stood up and voted with Senator Cruz, 28 Senators who had previously come out against executive amnesty voted in favor of fully funding it.
After the president announced his plans for executive amnesty, Senator McCain released the following statement:
As President Obama has previously said, he is not ‘a king’ or ‘the emperor of the United States,’ and he isn’t legally able to unilaterally change immigration law any way he sees fit. Congress has a responsibility to respond and push back on his illegal power-grab. Congress must be creative in using all the tools in our toolbox – including mounting a legal challenge – to oppose the President’s action.
For a full list of U.S. Senators who voted for and against the Senator Cruz's point of order, see the roll call vote.
