Posted on 05/21/2007 3:51:20 PM PDT by West Coast Conservative
Edited on 05/21/2007 4:09:14 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
WASHINGTON - Senate leaders agreed Monday that they would wait until June to take final action on a bipartisan plan to give millions of unlawful immigrants legal status.
The measure, which also tightens border security and workplace enforcement measures, unites a group of influential liberals, centrists and conservatives and has White House backing, but it has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. In a nod to that opposition, Senate leaders won't seek to complete it before a hoped-for Memorial Day deadline.
"It would be to the best interests of the Senate ... that we not try to finish this bill this week," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev., as the chamber began debate on the volatile issue. "I think we could, but I'm afraid the conclusion wouldn't be anything that anyone wanted."
The bipartisan compromise cleared its first hurdle Monday with a bipartisan Senate vote to begin debate on a separate immigration measure. Still, it faces significant obstacles as lawmakers seek dozens of modifications to its key elements.
Republicans want to make the bill tougher on the nation's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants. Democrats want to change a new temporary worker program and reorder priorities in a merit-based system for future immigration that weights employability over family ties.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070521/ap_on_go_co/congress_immigration_25
We scared ‘em off.
Sure sounds like it, even though most of the demcritters are in ‘safe’ districts, especially in the House. Most of the vile about the Senate bill at DU for example is directed at Kennedy who is depicted by some there as a sell out to the immigrant lobbies. They are also not happy with Sen. Reid, who is cooking up the deal behind closed doors with little labor union participation. They wish to see the unseen details of the bill like anyone else. I think I also saw where the AFL-CIO was opposed to the temporary worker portion of the bill.
BTTT
The bill sucks, doesn't it Harry.
Not Voting - 8
Biden (D-DE) Clinton (D-NY) Dodd (D-CT) Johnson (D-SD) Kerry (D-MA) McCain (R-AZ) Nelson (D-FL) Obama (D-IL)
Seven blowhards and a sick guy.
I can see the sick guy not voting but what is with these other 7 clowns?
I wish I could mke $170,000 a year and not show up for a vote.
for that kind of money these stooges should be made to be in Washington 11 months a year working on problems,not gallavanting around on my tax dollar
from an e-mail I received a couple of days ago
And finally, can y ou imagine working for a company that has a little more
than 500 employees and has the following statistics:
* 29 have been accused of spousal abuse
* 7 have been arrested for fraud
* 19 have been accused of writing bad checks
* 117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses
* 3 have done time for assault
* 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit
* 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges
* 8 have been arrested for shoplifting
* 21 are currently defendants in lawsuits
* 84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year...
Can you guess which organization this is?
Give up yet?
It’s the 535 members of the United States Congress.
The same group that crank out hundreds of new laws each year designed to
keep the rest of us in line.
The only benefit illegals should have is a speedy deportation....while leaving pics, prints and some DNA so that they and their spawn can be identified and denied entry in future
Nah....you gotta give them a cheap suit, hundred bucks for seed money and a bus ticket to MEXICO. You appear to need diversity attitude training at your local consulate.
NAYs -—23
Allard (R-CO)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bunning (R-KY)
Byrd (D-WV)
Coburn (R-OK)
Corker (R-TN)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Enzi (R-WY)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sanders (I-VT)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Sununu (R-NH)
Tester (D-MT)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Not Voting - 8
Biden (D-DE)
Clinton (D-NY)
Dodd (D-CT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kerry (D-MA)
McCain (R-AZ)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
This is confusing (I have a headache) - the creeps voted “yea.” I don’t know why I thought the opposite result would have been better. Cloture means they limit debate to 30 hours (4-5 days, if they follow today’s hours).
Why do we even need a bill? The ONLY reason is amnesty. We already have enforcement on the books, and the govt doesn’t do that, even though Bush is supposedly good on the WoT. It’s all smoke and mirrors.
So far, so good.
Let's keep the pressure up.
That’s not good. KBH’s “improvement” is mere window dressing. She’ll vote for any immigration bill. She’s a loser.
He doesn’t represent us. He represents big business and the Mexican elite.
They got 69 votes for cloture today. Kennedy, Boxer, Reid etc.
Darn straight! I have been sending out emails since reading this thread. With Obama and Durbin as my Senators...well, suffice it to say, I would not be surprised if the Secret Service paid me a visit...
Look for a last minutes notice 3AM on a holiday vote to ensure it's passage.
Guaranteed 20 million more voters for the DNC down the road.
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.