Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander voted with most in his party on all but one of the immigration proposals put forward this week. 

The bipartisan legislation from the so-called “Common Sense Coalition” was swatted down by most Republicans. But Alexander voted with Democrats in favor of it.

The legislation would have created a path to citizenship for immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as children. However, it would have barred them from sponsoring their parents to get legalized. The bill also would have put $25 billion into border security.

After all four bills failed, Alexander prompted Democrats to reach farther across the aisle, quoting his mentor, former Senate Majority Leader Howard Baker, who was known to say, “the other fellow might be right.”

“I think we need some members of the other side to do what eight of us on the Republican side did this day, which is move the other direction,” he said. “Recognize the other fellow might be right, come to a conclusion. Do our job. I think we made a start this week.”

Alexander said he thinks the Senate should have a goal to get 70 votes for a bill, rather than the required 60, to signal to the country that there’s consensus around immigration law. He also said the issues are Congress’s alone to solve and that President Trump has provided some leadership on the matter after making it a key issue in his successful campaign.

“I’d like to say to my Democrat friends, that in this case, the other fellow might be named Trump,” Alexander said. “They may not like it, but I think we should give the president credit for seeing an urgent need, recommending a strategy, and doing his best to persuade half of Americans that he’s right about that.”

The immigration challenges facing our nation have been left unaddressed for far too long, and it is clear to me that the best opportunity for a result – for a bill to become law – is through the Secure and Succeed Act. Full statement:
https://t.co/QCw6K3fLTn— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker)
February 15, 2018

Sen. Bob Corker did not
break GOP ranks along with Alexander on the “Common Sense” legislation, but he did endorse the ”
Secure and Succeed Act,” which was largely based on President Trump’s proposals.