The 55 Senate Republican split 23-32, with the majority voting against the Hagel-Martinez immigration bill that passed the Senate May 25. No wonder. In the view of many Capitol Hill veterans, the bill is the worst legislation ever considered by the Republican-majority Congress. According to analysis by Robert Rector of the Heritage Foundation, it would allow 66 million new immigrants to enter the U.S. over the next 20 years and would lead to the largest increase in welfare in 35 years (see this week’s cover story.). With GOP conservatives such as Senators Jeff Sessions (Ala.) and Jon Kyl (Ariz.) fighting against it, President Bush and Majority Leader Bill Frist (R.-Tenn.) had to join forces with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) and Sen. Ted Kennedy (D.-Mass.) to get it through.
The 23 Republicans who did the wrong thing and voted for the bill were: Robert Bennett (Utah), Sam Brownback (Kan.), Lincoln Chafee, (R.I.), Norm Coleman, (Minn.), Susan Collins (Maine), Larry Craig (Idaho), Mike DeWine (Ohio), Pete Domenici (N.M.), Bill Frist (Tenn.), Lindsey Graham (S.C.), Judd Gregg (N.H.), Chuck Hagel (Neb.), Richard Lugar (Ind.), Mel Martinez (Fla.), John McCain (Ariz.), Mitch McConnell (Ky.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), Gordon Smith (Ore.), Olympia Snowe (Maine.), Arlen Specter (Pa.), Ted Stevens (Alaska), George Voinovich (Ohio), and John Warner (Va.).
