Texas governor Rick Perry, who this week fueled speculation about his presidential ambitions by announcing he will not seek a fourth term as governor, criticized the Senate’s immigration bill and scoffed at the suggestion that any single piece of legislation will disproportionately impact the GOP’s prospects in the 2016 election.

“The idea that there’s one piece of legislation that’s gonna decide whether an individual is gonna get to the White House is a little bit out of the realm of reality,” Perry said Sunday.


He went on to criticize the Gang of Eight’s legislation for its failure to adequately secure the border, which he argued is a prerequisite for immigration reform rather than a feature of it. “I don’t think the will is in Washington, D.C., to secure the border. So, until that happens, I’m not sure the American people are going to trust Washington to come up with some immigration bill until they secure the border.”