A meme posted on the “Rowdy Republican” Facebook page, which has around three-quarters of a million followers, claimed Dec. 30 that “every Senate Democrat voted to suppport [sic] $46 billion for border security” back in 2013.
Verdict: True
A 2013 immigration bill that included $46.3 billion for border security was supported by all 52 Democrats in the Senate and only 14 Republicans. The bill was part of a bipartisan push for comprehensive immigration reform that included a path to citizenship for illegal aliens.
Fact Check:
The Rowdy Republican Facebook page shared the meme in response to the ongoing government shutdown, which centers on President Donald Trump’s insistence on, and Democratic opposition to, $5 billion in funding for a border wall.
“Do you think Democrats are hypocrites?” asked the post.
All 52 Senate Democrats, joined by 14 Republicans and 2 independent senators, did vote in favor of a 2013 immigration bill that included substantial funding for border security. The bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, was never voted on by the House of Representatives, which was controlled by the GOP at the time.
The bill, which sought to “provide for comprehensive immigration reform,” would have funded $46.3 billion in border security to be transferred from the Treasury to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Trust.
That spending included $30 billion to train at least 19,200 additional border patrol agents on the southern border and $4.5 billion to carry out a border security strategy developed by the Department of Homeland Security. The bill would have also given $8 billion for fencing, infrastructure and technology, as well as $750 million for E-Verify, a system to help employers ensure their employees are legally allowed to work in the U.S.
Republican support in the Senate was contingent upon increased border security, though 32 Republicans still voted against the bill. The legislation included a 13-year pathway to citizenship for millions of illegal immigrants, which led many detractors to refer to it as an “amnesty” bill.
Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said back in 2013 that a path to citizenship was necessary to secure Democratic support for the immigration bill.