Speaker John Boehner Leadership Alert! Senate Votes in Favor by Wide Margin for Immigration Reform

Fourteen Republicans voted to support the Senate immigration reform bill and the vote received a wide margin of approval. House Speaker John Boehner should immediately demonstrate leadership and support the same positive outcome in the U.S. House.

Senator Rand Paul, who wants to run for U.S. President and once said he would support immigration reform including a path to citizenship for those already living and working illegally in the U.S., voted against the bill. 

Senator Paul said he wanted to determine if the U.S. border was secure before supporting the immigration reform bill.  Paul reneged on his intention to support the reform because his amendment to determine the security that he felt was necessary didn't pass.  This  incomprehensible rationale from Senator Paul was, in my mind, the same kind of convoluted  "I was for it before I was against it" double speak that Senator John Kerry spoke during his Presidential bid.  This immigration "no" vote should certainly be included in the sound bites when Paul attempts to launch his own 2016, Presidential run. 

Senator Paul, you were in favor of immigration reform before you were against it?  

Here is a list of the Republicans who supported the immigration reform bill from the Mother Jones website. Also, the complete list follows: 

After two weeks of debate on the floor and the addition of beefed-up border security measures backed by Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and John Hoeven (R-N.D.), the Senate passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill on Thursday by a 68-32 vote. The bill, which House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has repeatedly said he won't bring for a vote in the House, would offer a path to citizenship for the nation's estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants after the border measures are implemented.

Here's how all 100 senators voted (no Democrats voted against the bill):

REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED FOR THE BILL (14)
Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)
Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.)
Jeff Chiesa (R-N.J.)
Susan Collins (R-Maine)
Bob Corker (R-Tenn.)
Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)
Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
Orrin Hatch (R-Utah)
Dean Heller (R-Nev.)
John Hoeven (R-N.D.)
Mark Kirk (R-Ill.)
John McCain (R-Ariz.)
Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)

DEMOCRATS AND INDEPENDENTS WHO VOTED FOR THE BILL (54)
Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.)
Max Baucus (D-Mont.)
Mark Begich (D-Alaska)
Michael Bennett (D-Colo.)
Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)
Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)
Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio)
Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.)
Ben Cardin (D-Md.)
Carper Thomas (D-Del.)
Bob Casey (D-Pa.)
Christopher Coons (D-Del.)
Mo Cowan (D-Mass.)
Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.)
Richard Durbin (D-Ill.)
Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)
Al Franken (D-Minn.)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)
Kay Hagan (D-N.C.)
Tom Harkin (D-Iowa)
Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.)
Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.)
Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)
Tim Johnson (D-S.D.)
Timothy Kaine (D-Va.)
Angus King (I-Maine)
Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)
Mary Landrieu (D-La.)
Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)
Carl Levin (D-Mich.)
Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.)
Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)
Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)
Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.)
Christopher Murphy (D-Conn.)
Patty Murray (D-Wash.)
Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
Mark Pryor (D-Ark.)
John Reed (D-R.I.)
Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.)
Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)
Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)
Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.)
Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.)
Jon Tester (D-Mont.)
Mark Udall (D-Colo.)
Tom Udall (D-N.M.)
Mark Warner (D-Va.)
Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)

REPUBLICANS WHO VOTED AGAINST THE BILL (32)
John Barrasso (R-Wyo.)
Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
John Boozman (R-Ark.)
Richard Burr (R-N.C.)
Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.)
Dan Coats (R-Ind.)
Tom Coburn (R-Okla.)
Thad Cochran (R-Miss.)
John Cornyn (R-Texas)
Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
Ted Cruz (R-Texas)
Michael Enzi (R-Wyo.)
Deb Fischer (R-Neb.)
Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)
Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.)
Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)
Mike Johanns (R-Neb.)
Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)
Mike Lee (R-Utah)
Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
Jerry Moran (R-Kansas)
Rand Paul (R-Ky.)
Rob Portman (R-Ohio)
James Risch (R-Idaho)
Pat Roberts (R-Kansas)
Timothy Scott (R-S.C.)
Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.)
Richard Shelby (R-Ala.)
John Thune (R-S.D.)
Pat Toomey (R-Penn.)
David Vitter (R-La.)
Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)

It is morally wrong to oppose meaningful immigration reform, because all those who voted "no" are, themselves, descendants of immigrants.  Moreover, those who stand in the way of a path to citizenship for those already living in the U.S. illegally are imposing a cruel punishment on this group of hard working, tax paying Americans.  They deserve legal benefits and recognition of their dedication to freedom, achieved through diligence and hard work.  

Speaker of the House John Boehner must exert moral and political leadership by following the Senate example.  He has the responsibility to pass immigration reform with enthusiastic Republican support.