Posted on 06/06/2007 10:22:11 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
A landmark attempt to reform US immigration laws and grant a path to citizenship for around 12 million illegal immigrants faces its most crucial test yet in a moment of high political drama Thursday.
Democratic Senate Majority leader Harry Reid has scheduled a device known as a cloture vote on limiting time for debate on the package, in an effort to force it through the Senate this week.
Republicans, many of whom are under intense pressure from conservative supporters over the bill, have however complained that Reid's move would thwart a sheaf of amendments they wish to debate, and want more time.
Reid needs 60 votes to move the bill forward in the closely divided Senate. He has said he would shelve the legislation if the cloture vote fails.
That could be fatal for the bill, as any attempt to bring it back to the Senate floor later this year or early next year would mean it would land square in the political maelstrom of congressional and presidential elections in 2008.
The bill, agreed last month with the White House, is intended to bring undocumented workers out of the shadows, establish a merit-based points system for future immigrants and forge a low-wage temporary worker program.
It includes a border security crackdown, punishments for employers who hire illegal immigrants and an attempt to wipe out a backlog of visa applications from those who have gone through legal immigration channels.
If it passes, the measure would form a key plank of President George W. Bush's legacy. But the measure has attracted fierce opposition and been branded an amnesty for illegal immigrants by conservative groups.
Earlier, the Senate voted 51 to 46 to knock back the measure on depriving benefits to immigrants with certain criminal convictions and irregularities in documentation, after critics said it would have disqualified too many people.
Supporters of the bill said the amendment, framed by Texas Senator John Cornyn, would have fractured the fragile cross-party coalition trying to push the landmark bill through the Senate.
The measure would have barred any immigrant who had violated a deportation order or used false documents, among other offenses.
Moments before the vote, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer had lambasted the measure as "a stealth, trojan horse amendment," and pleaded with senators for the controversial legislation to oppose it.
One substitute amendment did pass. Put forward by one of the immigration bill's architects Senator Edward Kennedy, it disqualified applicants who are gang members, members of terrorist groups, smugglers or those who have repeat drink-driving convictions. But it dropped language on deportation orders.
US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, another architect of the legislation, is urging lawmakers to avoid making changes that could tear it apart.
In an interview with AFP, Gutierrez said he feared that amendments could "break" a fragile compromise that was reached between the White House and Republican and Democratic senators three weeks ago after intense negotiations.
"The biggest risk would be the introduction of amendments," Gutierrez said in the interview in Spanish.
Republican Senator Jeff Sessions, who opposes much of the bill's content, said support for the measure was beginning to fade.
"I think enthusiasm is waning for the legislation," Sessions told reporters.
"If it goes through, it is going to be limping through without the kind of momentum it started out with."
If the measure passes the Senate, it will go the House of Representatives, where is it assured a rocky reception, and passage is not guaranteed.
The House and Senate versions of the bill would then have to be reconciled before it is sent to the president to be signed into law.
Republican Senator Jeff Sessions, who opposes much of the bill’s content, said support for the measure was beginning to fade.
“I think enthusiasm is waning for the legislation,” Sessions told reporters.
“If it goes through, it is going to be limping through without the kind of momentum it started out with.”
Sure he will.
This confirms that he knows if anyone has time to talk about it, or even think about it, it will fail.
Boy howdy!
Limping? If it's limping, it's still propelling forward. Time to kill this thing. And then kill it again.
They shoot horses, don't they?
Let’s make sure there are a flood of faxes waiting for these quislings in their senate offices tomorrow morning.
You can send faxes for free at NumbersUSA.
“it would land square in the political maelstrom of congressional and presidential elections in 2008.”
They wouldn’t dare try this crap during an election year... what does that tell ya? They know America is pretty solidly against it!
FIRE THE SOB’S! If they want illegal immigrants so much, give the dam illegals a one way bus ticket to DC!!
Kaaa..BLAMMM!
Support for Senate Immigration Bill Falls, 49% Prefer No Bill At All - Rasmussen Reports
Public support for the Senate immigration reform bill has slipped a bit over the past week. A Rasmussen Reports poll conducted Monday and Tuesday night found that just 23% of voters now support the bill while 50% are opposed. Last week, 26% supported the Senate bill while 48% were opposed.
In the face of public opposition, some supporters of the legislation have argued that the compromise may not be perfect but doing something is better than doing nothing. Voters have a different view--a solid plurality believes it would be better for the country to pass no bill at this time rather than letting the Senate compromise become law.
--snip--
I’ll pay for the fax, I want them to know it’s coming directly from me!
The news headline on Drudge says the bill is toast ... I hope it is true. It will be stunning to the supporters who are so proud of their “coalition” of liberals and conservative senators. This bill deserves a quick death and we deserve a debate on immigration reform during the upcoming presidential campaign.
BUMP
I’m an Ike baby, a tail end boomer. :-)
Cool!
NO MORE RINOS!!
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I have studied “Operation Wet Back” in 1954 ordered by the great Dwight Eisenhower. It worked!!! Actual deportations were about 60 % of gross numbers returning volutarily. Listen! This government has let these aliens in . This government can get them out. Im an old country lawyer but I could handle this easy. First, indict the first 100 employer we find working these people. Second shut off all public services they don’t pay for. 3. sytematically remove as many as we can find by humanely flying these paople home and letting the out.and 4 get the fense up and the National guard watching and capturing any intruders, THIS ABSOLUTLY CAN BE DONE!!!
Harry Reid’s playing chicken with the chicken sh*t republican senators. The longer the bill is debated the more likely it will be ultimately defeated. Ergo stop the debate and blame republicans if it fails cloture. God I hope this lunacy fails tomorrow.
These are the fax Numbers for every fax machine in the RNC Building.
Blow Them Up!!!!
Republican National Committee Fax
Chairman (202) 863-8820
Administration (202) 863-8609
Counsel (202) 863-8654
Finance (202) 863-8690
Member Relations (202) 863-8835
Strategy (202) 863-8885
Co-Chairman (202) 863-8631
Communications (202) 863-8773
Political (202) 863-8808
Membership Services (202) 863-8589
eCampaign (202) 863-8851
Government Affairs (202) 863-8877
Senators
John Cornyn (202) 228-2856
Austin Office (512) 469-2020
Dallas Office (972) 239-2110
Kay Bailey Hutchinson (202) 224-0776
Austin Office (512) 916-5839
Dallas Office (214) 361-3502
White House (202) 456-2461
John Boehner (202) 225-0704
Mitch McConnell (202) 224-2499
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.