Immigration Reform 2013: Sen. Ted Cruz Says Passing Reform is Like 'Kicking Millions of Americans in the Teeth'

It's clear that Republicans have been intransigent this year in regard to passing an immigration reform bill.

While a small minority of Republicans in the House have expressed support for immigration reform, Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas, vocally represented the anti-reform majority earlier this month. 

In an interview with Houston-based radio host Michael Berry, Cruz, who has said in the past that immigration reform "is designed (...) to sail through the Senate and then crash in the House," candidly said the GOP should block reform for political gain. 

In the interview, Cruz said that he hopes House Speaker John Bohener will not take up immigration reform in 2014. If he does, Cruz said it would lessen the Republicans' "incredible opportunity to retake the Senate in 2014," according to The Nation. 

He said he is focused on winning the Senate majority back from the Democrats, and passing a comprehensive immigration reform bill would be the "number one thing Republicans could do to mess that up." He also said that pushing through the Senate-passed bill would be tantamount to "kicking millions of Americans in the teeth."

He said those who want to pass the legislation would be granting "amnesty" to undocumented immigrants. 

The Senate's comprehensive immigration reform legislation passed this June, and includes a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants that take around 13 years, in addition to increased border security. 

A portion of the transcript of Cruz's interview is below. 

MICHAEL BERRY: Amnesty, illegal immigration, an immigration reform plan. We're hearing that Boehner has punted that until after the Republican primary to save the squish Republicans from Tea Party challenges. True?

TED CRUZ: You know, I don't know. I certainly hope the reports that you and I are both reading are not true. You know I think we've got an incredible opportunity to retake the Senate in 2014, to retire Harry Reid as Majority Leader. And the number one thing Republicans could do to mess that up is to refuse to stand for principle. And if the House turns around and passes a giant amnesty deal that doesn't secure the border and grants amnesty, they might as well go and put "Harry Reid for Majority Leader" bumper stickers on the backs of their cars because it would be kicking conservatives, kicking the Tea Party, kicking millions of Americans in the teeth to make that same mistake again, so I sure hope they don't do it.

BERRY: I think you're right.