Each amendment begins, referring to the original Gang of Eight bill, with these words: “Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following…” In a stroke, 867 pages of proposed legislation would be thrown out.

The “Border Security Results Act of 2013″ would require the Department of Homeland Security to come up with a plan to secure the border, submit it to Congress, and have it fully implemented within two years. The entire bill is 12 pages long.

The “Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act” would require the E-verify system to be up and running across the country in one year. The amendment is 21 pages long.

The third amendment would re-invent the system of H-1B visas for skilled immigrants. It, too, is 21 pages long.