Jeff Sessions on Immigration: Here are the 11 times he voted against immigration reform
When Jeff Sessions was sworn in as attorney general on Wednesday, he said that the U.S. should end undocumented immigration.
"We need to end this lawlessness that threatens the public safety, pulls down the wages of working Americans," he said.
It should come as no surprise, then, that Sessions is considered an inspiration to President Donald Trump's recent anti-immigration measures, as the attorney general dedicated a great deal of his tenure in the Senate to voting against comprehensive immigration reform.
In 2013, a group of four Republican and four Democratic senators — also known as the "Gang of Eight" — worked to create a roadmap for citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants. Sessions was their fiercest opponent. Despite losing in the Senate, Sessions worked with Republican members of the House to stall comprehensive immigration reform.
Sessions considers citizenship for undocumented immigrants a form of amnesty, and as such has worked to curb future legal immigration under the assumption that a generous immigration reform would affect U.S. born workers.
So just how many times has Sessions voted against immigration or in favor of stricter measures? Here's the full list:
June 11, 2013
During the first session of the 113th Congress, Sessions voted against the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, a bill that sought to "provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes." The Senate passed the bill by an 82-15 vote, but it tanked in the House.
March 13, 2008
Sessions voted against Amendment 4259, which sought to "establish a reserve fund for immigration reform and enforcement." It was passed 53-45, however.
July 26, 2007
During the first session of the 110th Congress, Sessions voted in favor of an amendment to "ensure control over the United States borders and strengthen enforcement of the immigration laws." The amendment passed by an 89-1 vote.
June 28, 2007
Sessions voted against a related bill to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act "to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes." The bill died on the Senate floor by a 46-53 vote.
June 7, 2007
Sessions voted against the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007. The vote on cloture failed 34-61.
May 23, 2006
Sessions voted in favor of amending Section 212 of the Immigration and Nationality Act "regarding restrictions on the admissions of aliens." The motion to table was agreed to with a 79-19 vote.
May 25, 2006
Sessions voted against a bill "to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes." The bill passed with a 62-36 vote.
April 7, 2006
Sessions voted against a bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act "to provide for comprehensive reform and for other purposes." The motion was rejected 38-60 on the Senate floor.
April 6, 2006
Sessions voted down an amendment to the Immigration and Nationality Act "to provide conditional non-immigrant authorization for employment to undocumented aliens, and for other purposes." The cloture motion was rejected 39-60.
Nov. 3, 2005
During the 109th Congress' first session, Sessions voted in favor of replacing title VIII of the Immigration and Nationality Act to "impose a fee on employers who hire certain non-immigrants." The amendment, however, was rejected 14-85.
April 19, 2005
Sessions voted against a cloture motion to "adjustment of status of certain foreign agricultural workers, to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to reform the H-2A worker program under that act, to provide a stable, legal agricultural workforce, to extend basic legal protections and better working conditions to more workers, and for other purposes." The cloture motion died on the Senate floor.
The same day, Sessions voted against a cloture motion to simplify the process for admitting temporary foreign agricultural workers under the Immigration and Nationality Act. That cloture motion was also rejected.
