Posted on 06/26/2007 6:10:05 AM PDT by F15Eagle
WASHINGTON - Senators urging the passage of a bill that would legalize millions of illegal immigrants hope to revive bipartisan support for the embattled measure and push it to passage by week's end.
President Bush's team is predicting victory Tuesday on the effort to allow the bill — among the president's top domestic priorities — to go forward.
"We're optimistic," said Joel Kaplan, Bush's deputy chief of staff. "Our intelligence suggests that there will be the votes there."
Conservative critics who paint the measure as amnesty for lawbreakers, however, said their efforts to stop the legislation were gaining momentum.
With GOP conservatives determined to block the legislation, backers need 60 votes to clear procedural hurdles and resurrect it Tuesday. Just 45 senators — only seven of them Republicans — supported such a move two weeks ago.
Bush has mounted an unusually personal effort to diffuse bitter Republican opposition to the bill, appearing at a Senate party lunch earlier this month and dispatching two Cabinet secretaries to take up near-constant residence on Capitol Hill to push the compromise.
Still, after a chaotic several weeks in which the measure survived several near-death experiences, it remains buffeted by intraparty divisions. Bush's aides say they are lobbying hard to persuade Republicans that the measure deserves support.
"We're in the phase now, as (senators) head into the final tally of the votes, of making the case and explaining why we think the status quo is unacceptable," Kaplan said.
Jim Manley, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said the Senate's top Democrat is hopeful that there will be enough converts to push the bill forward.
Those against the plan to provide a path to citizenship to illegal immigrants were undeterred. "The enthusiasm for this bill, even the votes for this bill, have been eroding," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., a leading critic.
Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said proponents are engaging in "arm-twisting" to corral support, and he appealed to a skeptical public to ratchet up pressure on their senators to kill it.
"We do still have a shot to stop it, but it's only going to be if the American people raise the level of their voices in the next 24 hours," DeMint said.
The legislation faces still more trials even if it scales its initial obstacle, with votes looming on amendments that could alter key parts of the measure. Another make-or-break test vote could come as early as Thursday.
Reid is planning to use a rare maneuver known as a "clay pigeon" to advance a set package of Republican and Democratic amendments and lay the groundwork for quick votes on them.
DeMint, Sessions and other conservative foes of the bill wrote Reid on Monday complaining that the procedure would "shut off the debate" and "silence amendments," thus trampling senators' rights.
In a pointed response, Reid conceded the procedure was unusual, but he called it necessary to block a Republican filibuster. The move has the support, Reid wrote, of their own GOP leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and the White House.
Several of the Republican amendments slated for votes would make the bill tougher on unlawful immigrants, while those by Democrats would make it easier on those seeking to immigrate legally based solely on family ties.
Particularly worrisome to supporters, including the Bush administration, is a bipartisan amendment by Sens. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Max Baucus, D-Mont., that would change the bill's new program for weeding out illegal employees from U.S. workplaces.
The amendment would free employers from a mandate to check the identities of all their employees and require them to verify only new workers and those the government has a reason to believe are illegal immigrants. It would allow employees to present any state-issued drivers license as proof of identity, rather than requiring the nationally standardized "REAL ID," which some states have not adopted.
Kaplan said the amendment is the only one the administration is actively lobbying against.
"We've got our work cut out for us," he said.
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A text of the bill, S 1639, may be found at
http://thomas.loc.gov
latest from AP
For the Democrats, I would strongly suggest taking a pro-union/anti-illegal alien stance (i.e. “they are taking our jobs”) rather than using the conservative national security angle.
Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
Chief of Staff
stephen_ward@bingaman.senate.gov
Legislative Director
trudy_vincent@bingaman.senate.gov
Counsel
sunalei_stewart@bingaman.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
jude_mccartin@bingaman.senate.gov
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
Chief of Staff
laura_schiller@boxer.senate.gov
Legislative Director
polly_trottenberg@boxer.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
natalie_ravitz@boxer.senate.gov
Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)
Chief of Staff
bob_van_heuvelen@conrad.senate.gov
Legislative Director
tom_mahr@conrad.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
chris_thorne@conrad.senate.gov
sean_neary@conrad.senate.gov
Senator Carl Levin (D-MI)
Chief of Staff
david_lyles@levin.senate.gov
Legislative Director
rich_arenberg@levin.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
tara_andringa@levin.senate.gov
Senator Ben Nelson (D-NE)
Chief of Staff
tim_becker@bennelson.senate.gov
Legislative Director
christiana_gallagher@bennelson.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
david_dimartino@bennelson.senate.gov
Senator Jim Webb (D-VA)
Chief of Staff
paul_reagan@webb.senate.gov
Legislative Director
mike_sozan@webb.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
jessica_smith@webb.senate.gov
Senator Kit Bond (R-MO)
Chief of Staff
brian_klippenstein@bond.senate.gov
Legislative Director
kara_smith@bond.senate.gov
Communications Director
shana_marchio@bond.senate.gov
Senator Richard Burr (R-NC)
Chief of Staff
alicia_peterson-clark@burr.senate.gov
alicia_peterson-petersonclark@burr.senate.gov
Legislative Director
natasha_hickman@burr.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
laura_caudell@burr.senate.gov
mark_williams@burr.senate.gov
Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS)
Chief of Staff
jenny_manley@cochran.senate.gov
Legislative Director
ta_hawks@cochran.senate.gov
Press Secretary
margaret_wicker@cochran.senate.gov
Margaret_mcphillips@cochran.senate.gov
Senator John Ensign (R-NV)
Chief of Staff
john_lopez@ensign.senate.gov
Legislative Director
pam_thiessen@ensign.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
tory_mazzola@ensign.senate.gov
jack_finn@ensign.senate.gov
don_tatro@ensign.senate.gov
Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH)
Chief of Staff
joel_maiola@gregg.senate.gov
Legislative Director
nancy_perkins@gregg.senate.gov
General Counsel
christopher_gahan@gregg.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
erin_rath@gregg.senate.gov
Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT)
Chief of Staff
patricia_knight@hatch.senate.gov
Legislative Director
jace_johnson@hatch.senate.gov
Deputy LD
chris_campbell@hatch.senate.gov
Counsel
bill_castle@hatch.senate.gov
Press Secretary/Communications Director
peter_carr@hatch.senate.gov
McConnell should be sent packing.
PA senators Arlen Specter's office is not taking calls, and they will hang up on you as soon as you say, "Immigr-." Casey's office isn't answering calls.
On the House level, Jim Gerlach absolutely does not support this piece of shite.
Pitchforks, hot tar and goose feathers are required, as far as I am concerned.
They’re feeling the heat. Time to pour it on big time.
“Our intelligence suggests that there will be the votes there.”
Maybe the intelligence is as good as what they had on Iraq.
But if the Obama Amendment is in the package that is voted on today, the "clay pigeon," maybe it will be the straw that broke the camel's back.
Congressman Billybob
May I borrow a term from the anti-Ron Paul crowd and suggest that the Republicans are prepared to “drink the Kool-Aid” on this bill?
If so, would only “Kool-Aid drinkers” suggest impeachment as a recourse?
John / Billybob
Whatever it takes to kill this thing I’m all for. As you say, maybe that’s so bad enough will choke at that.
Grassley, Lugar, Bond, etc., all need to retire. They’ve been there too long.
Congressman,
What are our chances now?
if the President was half as agressive on, for example, making the tax cuts permanent Republicans would still control Congress.
No kool-aid for me. Get rid of any traitor politician. Vote ‘em out, impeach, recall, whichever method it needs be done by.
Senator Burr’s phone must be off the hook. It’s been busy since I started trying to call yesterday afternoon. Still busy right now.
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Bush sickens me at this point.
What a disgrace.
Should be fairly up-to-date info (based on intel/Yellow Book). That’s why I included more than one - just to make sure that at least someone is getting these messages. Maybe their mailboxes are full?
My two, Lott and Cochran will soon be dead to me. I will probably start a petition of recall on both.
keep up the good work!
He cares more about the illegal it seems than the American citizen and the legal immigrant. I cannot understand it and must assume he’s gone NAU / SPP cuckoo on us.
Itf they gain cloture with this treason... I'd suggest a wee bit more!
Sounds like an excellent idea.
Excellent.
I'm in Alabama, about 20-30 miles from Pascagoula...call me if I can help.
Are these Republican traitors really prepared for the political fallout? These 12-20 million illegals are certainly not more virtuous than the average Americans are. If you choose 12 million citizens at random you would get some bad dudes.
How can the executive branch which cannot issue passports to its own citizens screen out the criminal element among these people? In short, they can’t. They will fail.
Whoever among the Senate allows this bill to pass will not be forgiven by the base of the party. There will be all kinds of “Willie Horton” knock off ads against these guys in their next primary or election. With YouTube there will be all kinds of homemade ads circulating the next election. What Senator wants to be blamed for granting legal status to some dude who rapes and murders one of his citizens? That is the kind of gut level advertising that anyone can understand.
PowerPoint presentations?
These people refuse to listen.
They need to be driven from office.
The least they could do is respect the American people’s right to call them. They disrespect Americans by not pickling up their phones.
Lets disrespect them by putting them back on the street and out of their Castle on the Hill.
The Senate Switchboard, when you can get through, is not happy with us, the unwashed. One word: corncob (you do the imagery).
Got through to Kit Bond’s office. Still non-committal and they are letting you know that they are well aware if you are out-of-state therefore, they don’t have to listen to you.
Hopefully, EVERY senator that votes to approve cloture goes home to an ass whoopin AND a vote for anyone else come next election.
Is there any RECALL course to be taken?
Hi Eric,
You bet Lugar needs to go. Last time he ran unopposed and he’s not up again until 2012. Hopefully, I’ll be outta this state by then and back home in Kansas. But if I’m here and someone runs against Lugar, I’ll personally knock on doors for that individual.
Lugar does not answer his phones; his staff do not respond to questions. Can’t answer for Lugar himself, can’t reach the man. But who am I to expect this great towering elite to speak to me, the unwashed.......
It is amazing the degree to which the political elite are divorcing themselves from the electorate on this one.
If this continues, nothing short of a revolt should ensue.
If this passes history will blame Bush. Presidents get credit/blame for measures they push. FDR’s New Deal, etc. Bush will be remembered as one of the worst few President’s in history if this monstrosity goes through. If enforced, it will ensure that by 2100 we will be a third-world spanish-speaking craphole. Every great power eventually falls. This could well be our undoing with the way these people breed and the amount of family they will bring over. Given time they will dominate our nation. The other noteworthy consequence is that having this bill will kill the Republican party. In the nearterm because of frustration that so many leading Republicans fought against the wishes of the base on this and in the longterm because everyone knows the latinos ain’t voting for us.
It may happen either way. Turning loose 20 million illegal invaders is unprecedented in any nation’s history, that I know of.
He deserved to be chewed up for this bad poison pill. Sorry Tony, this is way beyond a bad idea.
All too true ... and unnecessary ... but they have chosen this path.
I just e-mailed Lugar’s office but I don’t expect a response.
agreed
Boy they sure have an attitude don’t they? Don’t care what any America thinks? Just whether or not they’ll survive politically?
Hillary will have a ball skewering Obama for sponsoring this idiot amendment.
Hey, you are sooooo right. They totally expect us to die down and shut up — to have our little hissy fit and then forget all the nastiness come time to RE-elect THEM.
The time is ripe for Conservatives to throw off the Sunday school gloves. I say we get our hands dirty.
I don't think it really matters to them. After all, they have very cushy retirement pensions and healthcare. They will be offered very well paying jobs on K Street. Remember, these guys live in gated communities, they don't have to live with the consequences of their vote. so instead of staying on for one more term, they get bounced, there really is no price they pay either way.
Hopefully the one poison pill that sticks that they all can’t swallow. I don’t know; whatever kills this thing is good. Just need to keep it dead.
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