McCain (Ariz.), the lead Republican author, said he assumed Cruz would have voted for the immigration bill had the Senate adopted Cruz’s proposal to double the number of permissible green cards and increase H-1B visas for skilled workers by 500 percent.

“You can only take people by their words. His words were clear that passage of that amendment would improve the chances of passage of the bill. He made that clear and he made both on the floor and off the floor,” McCain said Thursday.

Cruz’s amendment failed, and he ultimately voted against the reform legislation.

Fourteen Senate Republicans backed the bill, including Rubio.

Had Cruz’s amendment been adopted, McCain said he thinks Cruz would have voted yes as well.

“I assume so because he said passage of that amendment would assure passage of the bill,” he said.