Sen. Cruz Vows to Continue Fighting For Passage of Kate's Law
Sen. Cruz Vows to Continue Fighting For Passage of Kate's Law
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Senate voted on Kate's Law, a bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). The measure failed to invoke the 60-vote threshold necessary to move the bill forward. The legislation is named for Kate Steinle, the 32-year-old woman who tragically died in the arms of her father on a San Francisco pier after being shot by an illegal alien who had several felony convictions and had been deported from the United States five times. This bill would strengthen federal law by increasing the maximum sentence for illegal reentry to five years, creating a new illegal reentry penalty of up to 10 years for anyone who had previously been denied admission or deported at least three times, and imposing a five-year mandatory minimum sentence for anyone convicted of illegal reentry who had a prior aggravated felony or had been convicted of illegal reentry twice before.
After the vote, Senator Cruz remarked:
"It is disappointing to see Democratic leaders stand with convicted felons rather than the American people. Once again, many Democrats have politicized an issue that shouldn't be a red state/blue state issue,” Sen. Cruz said. “Americans are tired of politicians standing with violent criminal illegal aliens. This should bring us together. We should protect the American people.
"Because of the Obama administration's weak immigration enforcement policies, we are failing to adequately deter deported illegal aliens from illegally reentering the country, especially those with violent criminal records. That's why Kate's Law is necessary. We must increase the penalties for those who would contemplate illegally returning to the United States to prey on innocent Americans.
"All Americans, regardless of political affiliation, deserve to be protected from violent illegal immigrants who flout our laws. If our Democratic colleagues continue to put politics over protecting Americans, the consequences are immense. Doing so costs lives."
###
