Vitter amendment on census falls in Senate vote (Count Illegal Aliens in Census)

Nola.com ^ | 11.5.09 | Jonathan Tilove

[trumandogz]

Sen. David Vitter's bid to require the 2010 Census to ask all respondents about their citizenship was killed today when the Senate voted to invoke cloture and end debate on the Commerce spending bill without having to consider the Louisiana Republican's amendment.

The Democratic leadership, which had been trying to block the Vitter amendment since early October, eked out a victory with the bare number of votes needed to invoke cloture, prevailing 60 to 39.

Vitter's Democratic colleague, Sen. Mary Landrieu, who had been caustic in her criticism of Vitter's measure, voted with the majority.

Vitter intended the citizenship count as a predicate to seeking to require that House seats be apportioned strictly on the basis of the citizen population of the United States, and not, as has always been the practice, on the total population.

[a fool in paradise]

That’s okay, Mexico encourages the legal immigrants to vote in both nations. So much for surrending foreign allegiances under oath.

[WOBBLY BOB]

...eked out a victory with the bare number of votes needed to invoke cloture, prevailing 60 to 39.

how did the usual RINOs vote?

[July4]

WHAT????? The US Census is going to ask the color of my drawers and won’t ask whether or not I’m a citizen?

[trumandogz]

The Constitution directs us to count “Persons” not only “Citizens.”

[Lurking Libertarian]

The Constitution is crystal-clear that anyone present here, legally or not, gets counted in the census: The 14th Amendment says that House members are apportioned based on "counting the whole number of persons in each State". As the article notes, the Census has always counted illegal aliens.

[Lurking Libertarian]

The Constitution is crystal-clear that anyone present here, legally or not, gets counted in the census: The 14th Amendment says that House members are apportioned based on "counting the whole number of persons in each State". As the article notes, the Census has always counted illegal aliens.

[OrioleFan]

It was a straight partyline vote 60-39 with Independent Lieberman and Socialist Sanders voting with the Democraps. RINO McCain did not vote.

[Lurking Libertarian]

Sorry for the double post.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

What’s wrong with counting them AND being able to identify them as illegals or legal residents and citizens?

[AuntB]

“What’s wrong with counting them AND being able to identify them as illegals or legal residents and citizens?”

They will not be asked if they are here legally...that would be ‘profiling’ and not PC. Illegal aliens have as much (and more in many cases)representation as you and I.

[concerned about politics]

The Constitution is crystal-clear that anyone present here, legally or not, gets counted in the census: The 14th Amendment says that House members are apportioned based on "counting the whole number of persons in each State". As the article notes, the Census has always counted illegal aliens.

Yeah, and today they're even allowed to vote, because no one dare ask if they're legal citizens - it's anti-liberal.

(political correctness was designed to silence people from speaking out against the left wing special interest groups).

[pabianice]

If this stands, that's pretty much it. 20 million illegals being counted as citizens; 20 million new Dem voters.

Had enough?

[concerned about politics]

If this stands, that's pretty much it. 20 million illegals being counted as citizens; 20 million new Dem voters.

Go Galt. Legally avoid taxation of any kind. Starve the beast. Watch them squirm for a change.

[browardchad]

What’s wrong with counting them AND being able to identify them as illegals or legal residents and citizens?

Nothing, as has been the practice in the past. If you look at the census returns from the past (1900 to 1930 -- none more recent available), the Census Bureau had no problem asking whether the person was citizen, when or if  they became naturalized, and what date they arrived in the U.S.

Everyone was counted, per the Constitution, but at least there was some kind of handle on who these "persons" living in the U.S. were, and whether they were citizens.

I would think that would be valuable information in the inevitable upcoming repeat of the amnesty debate.

[trumandogz]

If this stands, that's pretty much it. 20 million illegals being counted as citizens; 20 million new Dem voters.

The Census will simply be doing what the Framers directed them to do at that is to count everybody, not just citizens.

[mlstier]

that would be ‘profiling’

And what is the rest of the questionaire used for???

[gubamyster]

ping

[July4]

The census was established before the current invasion of illegals and did not anticipate that situation. It is necessary to count citizens to know how many representatives each state is entitled to. If illegals are counted, the system is broken.

[TribalPrincess2U]

But will they come out of the closet to be counted? Mmm,mmm,mmm