Senate Democrats blocked Republicans from calling up an amendment that would prohibit President Obama from issuing executive orders on immigration policies.
Sens. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) tried to table Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) amendments to call up their own, but Democrats defeated that motion on a 50-50 vote.
{mosads}Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) voted with Republicans after it was clear the motion would fail. All three face tough reelection races in November.
The Senate is considering a $1 trillion spending bill that will continue to fund the government through Dec. 11.
Sessions and Cruz wanted to add a House-passed bill that would stop Obama from issuing more executive orders on immigration policy.
Obama has said that after the midterm election he will issue an order to give nearly 5 million immigrants in the country illegally worker visas so they can stay with their U.S.-born children.
“He intends to illegally grant amnesty to 5 to 6 million more people,” Cruz said ahead of the vote. “Amnesty is coming.”