--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I introduced legislation in the Senate to…" description: "\"I introduced legislation in the Senate to prohibit President Obama's amnesty. The House of Representatives stood up and led. It took the legislation I ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/ted-cruz-487_amnesty_i-introduced-legislation-in-the-senate-t_1947013.png" --- # I introduced legislation in the Senate to prohibit… ![“I introduced legislation in the Senate to prohibit President Obama's amnesty. The House of Representatives stood up and led. It took the legislation I introduced and it passed it. But the Senate Democrats stood as one uniform block and said, 'No, we will do nothing to stop amnesty.'” quote by Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/ted-cruz-487_amnesty_i-introduced-legislation-in-the-senate-t_1947013.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/ted-cruz-487_amnesty_i-introduced-legislation-in-the-senate-t_1947013.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c7c/ted-cruz-487_amnesty_i-introduced-legislation-in-the-senate-t_1947013.png) > “I introduced legislation in the Senate to prohibit President Obama's amnesty. The House of Representatives stood up and led. It took the legislation I introduced and it passed it. But the Senate Democrats stood as one uniform block and said, 'No, we will do nothing to stop amnesty.'” [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Cruz claims his bill to block amnesty was blocked by a unified Senate Democratic opposition, highlighting partisan gridlock. **In simple terms:** He says his effort was stopped by Democrats acting together. Key Takeaway Recognize how party unity can stall legislation. Themes politics legislation partisanship Mood frustrated determined Type political strategic When to use this quote - Congressional voting - policy advocacy - party negotiations Key Concepts legislative process political strategy Questions to Reflect On - What mechanisms could break a partisan stalemate? - How does party unity affect policy outcomes? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Amnesty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesty/) [Democrats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/democrats/) [Legislation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legislation/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Prohibit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prohibit/) [Representatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/representatives/) [Senate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senate/) [Uniform](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uniform/) ## Related quotes > [What would be the political benefits to Obama of an amnesty? It could weld Hispanics to the Democratic Party, would be wildly popular with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/what-would-be-the-political-benefits-to-obama-of-an-amnesty-it-could/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [You can grow marijuana, so the government can't tax you and they don't like that, that's why they prohibit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/you-can-grow-marijuana-so-the-government-can-t-tax-you-and-they-don-t/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [“To prohibit the reading of certain books is to declare the inhabitants to be either fools or slaves.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-adrien-helvetius/to-prohibit-the-reading-of-certain-books-is-to-declare-the/) [Claude Adrien Helvetius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-adrien-helvetius/) > [The only thing we should prohibit is violence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-paul/the-only-thing-we-should-prohibit-is-violence/) [Ron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-paul/) > [Prohibition is an awful flop. We like it. It can't stop what it's meant to stop. We like it. It's left a trail of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-p-adams/prohibition-is-an-awful-flop-we-like-it-it-can-t-stop-what-it-s-meant/) [Franklin P. Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-p-adams/) > [I'm telling you right now, you'll drop dead if you prohibit what God is doing!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-howard-browne/i-m-telling-you-right-now-you-ll-drop-dead-if-you-prohibit-what-god/) Rodney Howard-Browne > [Traditionally, marriage is one arena where states have all but plenary power; it took until 1967 for the Supreme Court to tell states they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-greenfield/traditionally-marriage-is-one-arena-where-states-have-all-but-plenary/) [Jeff Greenfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-greenfield/) > [Stripped of ethical rationalizations and philosophical pretensions, a crime is anything that a group in power chooses to prohibit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freda-adler/stripped-of-ethical-rationalizations-and-philosophical-pretensions-a/) [Freda Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freda-adler/) > [Countries who limit or prohibit women from attending any educational institution, walking freely without a male escort or barring women from basic human rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-santos/countries-who-limit-or-prohibit-women-from-attending-any-educational/) [George Santos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-santos/) > [The mere suggestion that not speaking for a day can give you an appreciation of the social isolation that comes with the experience of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stella-young/the-mere-suggestion-that-not-speaking-for-a-day-can-give-you-an/) [Stella Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stella-young/) > [Both CNN and NPR prohibit political activity by all journalists, no matter their assignment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/both-cnn-and-npr-prohibit-political-activity-by-all-journalists-no/) [Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/) > [Theology necessitates an image of God as a conscious, rational, supernatural being of unlimited power and scope who cares about humans and imposes moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-stark/theology-necessitates-an-image-of-god-as-a-conscious-rational/) [Rodney Stark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-stark/) > [New York state ethics rules prohibit lawyers from soliciting gifts from clients 'for the benefit of the lawyer or a person related to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-dedman/new-york-state-ethics-rules-prohibit-lawyers-from-soliciting-gifts/) [Bill Dedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-dedman/) > [Manufactured scandals prohibit public servants from doing the job they were elected or appointed to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-b-rangel/manufactured-scandals-prohibit-public-servants-from-doing-the-job/) [Charles B. Rangel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-b-rangel/) > [Sick minds like to prohibit; healthy minds like to free!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/sick-minds-like-to-prohibit-healthy-minds-like-to-free/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) ## More by Ted Cruz > [I was born in Cuba. At the age of 14 years of age I was involved in a revolution. We were suffering from a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-was-born-in-cuba-at-the-age-of-14-years-of-age-i-was-involved-in-a/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [ Donald Trump has opened \[ politically correct enforcement\] up wide. He's made a very bold statement and he's backed it back just a little… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-has-opened-politically-correct-enforcement-up-wide-he-s/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [I get that the media wants us to play theater critics and critique every other proposal. What I'm focusing on are my own policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/i-get-that-the-media-wants-us-to-play-theater-critics-and-critique/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [We need to remain a nation that doesn't just welcome but that celebrates legal immigrants who come here seeking to pursue the American Dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/we-need-to-remain-a-nation-that-doesn-t-just-welcome-but-that/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Donald Trump threatened to file a defamation suit against me for running a TV ad that consisted only entirely of his own words on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/donald-trump-threatened-to-file-a-defamation-suit-against-me-for/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [The immigrant experience of all of us is what makes us Americans, because we value in our DNA liberty and opportunity above all else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-immigrant-experience-of-all-of-us-is-what-makes-us-americans/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [The First Amendment exists to protect our religious liberty--to ensure that all Americans are able to seek out worship God with all our hearts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-first-amendment-exists-to-protect-our-religious-liberty-to-ensure/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [It is my hope that all of the Republicans who recognize that nominating a candidate who agrees with Hillary Clinton on a host of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/it-is-my-hope-that-all-of-the-republicans-who-recognize-that/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [The Senate Majority Leader has the unilateral ability to stand up and say, 'If you defy Congress, if you defy the Constitution, if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-senate-majority-leader-has-the-unilateral-ability-to-stand-up-and/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [You can't get to a balanced budget and begin to pay down debt and thus create jobs in this country if you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/you-can-t-get-to-a-balanced-budget-and-begin-to-pay-down-debt-and/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [That's what actually caused me to run for office is, you know, my family story, the experience of growing up in a family where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/that-s-what-actually-caused-me-to-run-for-office-is-you-know-my/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [When you subpoena one pastor, you subpoena every pastor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/when-you-subpoena-one-pastor-you-subpoena-every-pastor/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [One of the things we've seen here is how easy it is for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton to get distracted from dealing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/one-of-the-things-we-ve-seen-here-is-how-easy-it-is-for-barack-obama/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [Imagine a legal immigration system that welcomes and celebrates those who come to achieve the American dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/imagine-a-legal-immigration-system-that-welcomes-and-celebrates-those/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) > [The court follows elite opinion, not public opinion. And Democratic leaders in Congress and Republican leaders in Congress follow elite opinion as well. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-cruz/the-court-follows-elite-opinion-not-public-opinion-and-democratic/) [Ted Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) [Explore all 523 Ted Cruz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-cruz/) ## More Amnesty quotes > [I am strongly opposed to any form of amnesty, including, especially, executive amnesty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-scalise/i-am-strongly-opposed-to-any-form-of-amnesty-including-especially/) [Steve Scalise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-scalise/) > [How arrogant - how very far from humility - would be the self-satisfied, smug assurance that God, a tidy-up-after-us God will come and clean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheldon-whitehouse/how-arrogant-how-very-far-from-humility-would-be-the-self-satisfied/) [Sheldon Whitehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheldon-whitehouse/) > [Hillary Clinton has pledged to keep both of these illegal amnesty programs, including the 2014 amnesty which has been blocked by the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/hillary-clinton-has-pledged-to-keep-both-of-these-illegal-amnesty/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [3 "amnesty" didn't mean rewarding illegal behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/3-amnesty-didn-t-mean-rewarding-illegal-behavior/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [Why don't Republicans spend all their airtime attacking the media for lying about what Obama's amnesty does and what the Democrats are doing? It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/why-don-t-republicans-spend-all-their-airtime-attacking-the-media-for/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [...we will not grant amnesty to illegal aliens in this Congress or, hopefully ever again. We did that once. Everybody said it was a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-gramm/we-will-not-grant-amnesty-to-illegal-aliens-in-this-congress-or/) [Phil Gramm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-gramm/) > [ I take the Constitution very seriously. The biggest problems that we're facing right now have to do with \[the president\] trying to bring more… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-take-the-constitution-very-seriously-the-biggest-problems-that-we/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [I worked 30 years to try to restore respect for the rule of law because of Ronald Reagan's amnesty in 1986. And I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-king/i-worked-30-years-to-try-to-restore-respect-for-the-rule-of-law/) [Steve King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-king/) > [You are going to hear many things from Mr. Trump today in his speech on immigration. One, no amnesty. He is absolutely going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kellyanne-conway/you-are-going-to-hear-many-things-from-mr-trump-today-in-his-speech/) [Kellyanne Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kellyanne-conway/) > [I supported this bill. I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who have put down roots and who have lived here even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/i-supported-this-bill-i-believe-in-the-idea-of-amnesty-for-those-who/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [Amnesty is a disaster, we need strong borders. We have no country if we have no border. In New Hampshire, the biggest complaint is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/amnesty-is-a-disaster-we-need-strong-borders-we-have-no-country-if-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [no study has brought out any solid evidence that the death penalty deters crime. In fact, Amnesty reports that 'the murder rate in states…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoinette-bosco/no-study-has-brought-out-any-solid-evidence-that-the-death-penalty/) [Antoinette Bosco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoinette-bosco/) > [We try it practically every time it comes up, be it amnesty, be it any other issue they want. We try and it gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/we-try-it-practically-every-time-it-comes-up-be-it-amnesty-be-it-any/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ This bill \[Immigration Reform and Control act of 1986\] is a gamble, a riverboat gamble. There is no guarantee that employer sanctions will work… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/this-bill-immigration-reform-and-control-act-of-1986-is-a-gamble-a/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) > [ No one believed \[the 1986 amnesty for illegal aliens\] was tough enough on illegal immigration, and it didn't give enough flexibility on future legal immigration. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-schumer/no-one-believed-the-1986-amnesty-for-illegal-aliens-was-tough-enough/) [Charles Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-schumer/) [Browse all 195 Amnesty quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amnesty/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I introduced legislation in the Senate to prohibit President Obama's amnesty. The House of Representatives stood up and led. It took the legislation I introduced and it passed it. 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