Senate Immigration Reform Bill Takes Step Toward the Grave

Fox News ^ | June 27, 2007 | Major Garrett and Trish Turner

[notes2005]

WASHINGTON — The fragile immigration reform bill crafted in the Senate faces sudden death Thursday when a second vote is scheduled to shut down a filibuster.

If supporters don't get the 60 votes they need to end debate, then the bill is dead since the Senate schedule does not allow any more time to revive the legislation.

In an unusual admission, two leadership aides — one Democrat, one Republican — told FOX News that they have no idea how the vote will go. Vote-counting is something that is normally down to a science in the Senate chamber. The vote to end debate, called "cloture," is expected at 10:30 a.m. ET.

The mood in the Senate took a perceptible shift Wednesday as lawmakers decided not to "table," or send into permanent limbo, one of the 27 amendments approved for debate. That amendment was designed to weaken worker verification standards that are key to the measure's approach to reducing the ability of illegals to obtain work with fraudulent documents.

The Senate vote, 45-52, not to kill the amendment stops all momentum toward passage, something the White House and bipartisan Senate leadership hoped to achieve by Friday.

[Shermy]

“The vote, on whether to shut down debate and move to final passage, now appears likely to lose the extra bit of Republican support it had picked up during Tuesday’s vote to continue working on the comprehensive package.”

Could lose Democratic support too, Obama may not like debate on his amendment cut off by the whim of the rulers. I don’t see why an avid and sincere supporter of the bill wouldn’t mind more debate.

[Fresh Wind]

[rocksblues]

The 2 Senators for debating this issue in the am are Kennedy and Spectre. Sessions asked for time in the am and was refused. He had to use his time left this evening. He also asked if it was proper procedure to allow the debaters in the am to be proponents of this shamnesty.

[ding_dong_daddy_from_dumas]

[Oldhunk]

Once it is clear that the 60 votes are not there, why would any of the guys on the fence walk the plank and vote for cloture? Wouldn’t it be likely almost all of these guys vote no? I would think all of the rats would start jumping off of the sinking ship.

[trooprally]

Great poster. I was your were quicker. We could have used it at the RNC FReep.

[Mr] T

[Shermy]

“”Baloney, this bill is being pushed and shoved by forces beyond the public knowledge. Be they One World, American Union, American debt buyers, bankers, corporation or good old socialists. I believe they’ll try every trick in the book to get this done. Until then keep your eyes wide open.””

Good points.

[CaptainK]

A report from Bloomberg is stating the same thing.

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20670001&refer=&sid=a3MLP26VTFMU

[Reaganwuzthebest]

That’s hopefully just the way it works. :)

With momentum building to kill this beast once and for all the vote against it may be as lopsided as it was last time.

[Buzzm1]

Sens. Kit Bond of Missouri and Richard Burr of North Carolina, told FOX News that they will switch their vote (to no). Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, also told FOX News that he will vote “no” this time. nine other senators told FOX News they are undecided or leaning toward a no vote. They include Democratic Sens. Mark Pryor, Jim Webb, Jeff Bingaman, Robert Menendez and Republican Sens. Ted Stevens, Lisa Murkowski, Pete Domenici, Judd Gregg and John Ensign.

IT'S ALL GOOD NEWS!!

[\/\/ayne]

What’s the new latest bill number?

[mad_as_he$$]

Here is the problem with Ensign:

Ensign was born in Roseville, California to Sharon Lee Cipriani and a father whose surname was "Mueller"; his maternal grandfather was of Italian descent.[1] Ensign's family moved to Nevada when he was a child. His mother remarried Michael S. Ensign, a gaming industry executive who subsequently became chairman of the board of directors of Mandalay Bay,[2] and who adopted John. Ensign went to UNLV, Oregon State University, and Colorado State University, becoming a veterinarian in 1985. He then became a successful businessman, opening a 24-hour animal hospital in Las Vegas.

Nuf said.

[George W. Bush]

monk, you've got some serious Photoshop competition here. LOL.

That's some beautiful work, infidel29.

[2ndDivisionVet]

Just say NO to Illegal Alien Amnesty!! Keep calling!! It’s NOT OVER!!

U.S. Senate switchboard: (202) 224-3121

U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121

White House comments: (202) 456-1111

Find your House Rep.: http://www.house.gov/writerep

Find your US Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Toll free to the US Senate:

1-800-882-2005. (Spanish number)
1-800-417-7666. (English number)

Courtesy of a pro-amnesty group, no less!!

[dawn53]

Clever.

Glenn Beck (on the radio show) had a “commercial” for the organization that these senators have joined.

It was called the Amnesty Society Safe Harbor Of Legal Equalization. (of course the acronym is....)

[SergeiRachmaninov]

I bet nobody is more relieved at this turn of events than Hillary and Obama.

It was a huge no-win for them.

[tsowellfan]

Let’s all grab a shovel (and hand them out to friends and relatives)

http://www.numbersusa.com/actionbuffet

[G Larry]

Please feel free to use at will:

The “path to citizenship” is NOT the objection to the current immigration bill!
It is the immediate “legalization” without having first secured the border, provided for meaningful background checks, and subsequent issuance of tamperproof IDs.
It is that “probationary status” is renewable every four years.
It is lack of a system to manage the VISIT system, which would keep track of people who overstay their VISAs.
It is the tripling of chain migration, before closing the door in 2016.
There is no true incentive for illegal immigrants to get on the path to citizenship!
And finally, I object to the proponents of this bill pretending that I’m a racist, instead of addressing my true objections above.

[George W. Bush]

Now that Cheney is lined up, they will kill this and go after him.

I'm asking myself whether I should care at this point. Bush and Cheney...nothing left for them in my heart now. And long investigations and hearings and impeachment proceedings would preclude any further work on their shamnesty plot with Chappaquiddick Ted.

I told my Dim senator's office today they could impeach Bush and I just wouldn't even care any more. And that's the way I feel. With this shamnesty, I've been stabbed once too many times in the back by Lyndon Baines Bush. What I can't forgive now is the utter betrayal and the hatred these people have for us, their own base supporters, who voted them into office, who helped win the Battle For Floriduh, who have supported them very loyally through thick and thin (except Brownie-Katrina, Dubai, Harriet).

If they hate us so much after we've tolerated so much from them, I'm done with them. They can just go away.

[Reaganwuzthebest]

Yup clever. :)

What a tough decision it would be naming a president to that exclusive club considering they're all equally qualified:

Ted Kennedy
John McYellowStain
George Bush