This is a completely bizarre take. The bill passed the Senate. If anything, had Cruz's amendments passed, it probably would have instantly passed the House too. It gave the Democrats 500 percent increase in H1B visas, doubled Green Cards and gave legalization to illegals. This was a position that Cruz continued to support long after the gang of eight fight was over.
The amendment Cruz added to the bill said any illegal in the country was forever banned from citizenship. He gutted the effect of the bill.