Senate set for immigration vote today - Update: Bill Passed 62-36

AP on Yahoo ^ | 5/25/06 | David Espo - ap

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON - Legislation offering millions of illegal immigrants a chance at U.S. citizenship moved to the brink of Senate passage Thursday, a rare reach across party lines and a triumph for President Bush.

Majority Leader Bill Frist called for swift talks with the House, which has passed its own version, in what loomed as an arduous search for compromise.

Underscoring bipartisan support in the Senate, Frist, R-Tenn., and Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada announced in advance they would support the measure. It was months in the drafting and narrowly survived several brushes with disaster across more than a week of debate.

The legislation calls for stronger border security, a new guest worker program and — most controversially — provisions giving many of the illegal immigrants in the country an eventual chance to become citizens. Another provision would establish a new system to verify the legal status of workers, and punish employers who knowingly hire illegal laborers.

Conservatives attacked the bill to the end after trying unsuccessfully to pick it apart with amendments.

"This bill will not secure our borders," said Sen. Jeff Sessions (news, bio, voting record), R-Ala., one of the most persistent critics.

"This is amnesty," said Sen. David Vitter, R-La., who tried last week to strip out provisions relating to citizenship.

Together, Sessions and Vitter echoed the views of numerous House Republicans, many of whom have vigorously denounced the Senate bill as well as Bush's call for a "comprehensive approach" to the issue.

That portended difficult compromise talks in the shadow of midterm elections, at a time when Bush's poll ratings are low, congressional Republicans are concerned and Democrats are increasingly optimistic about their chances at the polls.

For now, supporters of the Senate bill said they intended to savor their victory. Peppered with questions about the compromise talks ahead, Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., said, "I'm going to celebrate here."

The House bill, which passed on a largely party-line vote last year, is generally limited to border enforcement. It would make all illegal immigrants subject to felony charges and it contains no provision for either a new temporary worker program or citizenship for men, women and children in the country unlawfully.

Frist said compromise talks should begin swiftly.

"I think it is important on this issue with millions of people coming across our borders illegally, not knowing who they are, where they are going or why they are coming," he said.

In contrast to the House measure, the Senate bill would mark the most far-reaching changes in immigration law in two decades. Built on compromise after painstaking compromise, it was designed to appeal to conservatives and others seeking tougher border enforcement; business interests eager for a steady supply of legal, low-wage labor; unions seeking enhanced protections for migrants who often toil in seasonal work the fields and Hispanics who are on the cusp of greater political power and determined to win a change in legal status for millions of illegal immigrants.

That last group — Hispanics — comprises the fastest growing segment of the electorate, and millions made their feelings clear in street demonstrations denouncing the House measure and calling for passage of a broader measure.

Bush played a prominent role in the run-up to passage. An Oval Office speech last week made explicit his support for the Senate's overall approach. A later trip to Arizona was designed to reassure conservatives about his commitment to stanching illegal immigration.

In more than a week of debate, the Senate made a series of changes in the legislation. Still, the key pillars were preserved when opponents failed to knock out the guest worker program or the citizenship provisions. A new program for 1.5 million temporary agricultural workers also survived.

To secure the borders, the measure calls for the hiring of an additional 1,000 new Border Patrol agents this year and 14,000 by 2011, and backs Bush's plan for a short-term deployment of National Guard troops to states along the Mexican Border. The bill calls for new surveillance equipment as well as the construction of 370 miles of triple-layered fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers.

The new guest worker program would admit 200,000 individuals a year. Once here, they would be permitted for the first time to petition on their own for a green card that confers legal permanent residency, a provision designed to reduce the potential for exploitation by employers.

A separate new program, a compromise between growers and unions, envisions admission of an estimated 1.5 million immigrant farm workers who may also apply for permanent residency

Even supporters of the bill conceded the three-tiered program related to illegal immigrants was complicated.

Those in the country unlawfully for five years or more would be permitted to remain, continue working and eventually apply for citizenship. They would be required to pay at least $3,250 in fines and fees, settle any back taxes and learn English.

Illegal immigrants in the country for more than two years but less than five would be required to travel to a point of entry before re-entering the United States legally and beginning a lengthy process of seeking citizenship. They would be subject to the same fines, fees and other requirements as the longer-term immigrants.

An immigrant in the country illegally for less than two years would be required to leave with no guarantee of return.

A new electronic system for employee verification is designed to hold employers accountable for hiring decisions. It provides for maximum fines of $20,000 for each worker and possible jail time for repeat offenders.

A separate controversy erupted over a call to make English the national language. Supporters said it would leave all current rights in place. Detractors argued it could undermine an executive order that mandates assistance to individuals who receive services such as health care yet lack proficiency in English.

[calex59]

President Bush pushed this bill, standing behind Kennedy and McCain and other idiots. He sent Rove out to try to coerce the house into accepting it. Don't stand there with a straight face and blame just the senate, let all the Rinos take the blame, Bush and the boys and the senate Rino republicans!

[WayneM]

So exactly how and when are conferees appointed or selected?

[Dog]

I'm pissed about that also.

[stopem]

Better duck there's a stampede on the border zillions of mexicans breaking in... oh wait they don't have to break in anymore they are welcomed plus their leader foxy is here already so welcome to mexico.

[P-Marlowe]

I didn't know there were only 36 Republicans Americans in the senate.

Since when did Mexico get 62 Senators?

[RodgerD]

Excellent post. The Senate kicked America in the teeth today.

[Mo1]

Don't stand there with a straight face and blame just the senate, let all the Rinos take the blame, Bush and the boys and the senate Rino republicans!

Tell ya what .. when you start watching the Senate every day and what they do .. come talk to me

[Texas_Jarhead]

This was reported last week (I think last week).

 

According to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, the Senate will send 26 Senators to the conference committee. The full list of the Senate conferees has not been released, but to date, these are the known members:

Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA)	Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA)
Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT)	Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA)	Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE)
Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ)	Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI)
Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH)	Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL)	Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI)
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC)	Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY)
Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)	Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Senator Mel Martinez (R-FL)
Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE)

[demlosers]

even senator byrd voted against it

He old views are different KKK.

[Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin]

Naw. Think it goes to the House, where, if they follow suit, it will not pass. And lo and behold, NOTHING GETS DONE. Which is what has happened for quite some time. But we only see 1-2 pages of this creepy excuse. There's something like 600 pages to this bill. And why on God's earth would we need 600 pages. The American people don't, the schuysters in the Senate, do. The people in the Senate are so far beyond words. I'm sure all the rest of the bill is just full of sneaky words, phrase, and sentences, that'll really pull one over on us American people. And pad the pockets of D.C. all the more...

[demlosers]

He = His *sigh*

[Texas_Jarhead]

on conferees

[Soul Seeker]

Only 36 Patriots huh?

There are 55 Republicans. Chances are pretty good at least 28-29 voted against this monstrosity. Hard to feel good about the numbers BUT the silver lining is that the President couldn't even command a Majority of Republicans in the Senate. That makes it a Democrat bill with RINO aid.

That is a DEFEAT for the President.

If he can't even coerce a majority of Senate RINO's of his party into supporting him, he is going to have a hell of a time twisting House Reps.

NO CONFERENCE HASTERT. DOA on arrival. NO AMNESTY by any name. Your careers this fall depend on it.

As for Martinez, Frist, mcCain and the rest of them? They can burn in hell. They'll never have my vote and I'll actively work against them.

[itsahoot]

All we really need to know Is who the traitors are....
The Rino yeas

Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Brownback (R-KS)
Chafee (R-RI)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Craig (R-ID)
DeWine (R-OH)
Domenici (R-NM)
Graham (R-SC)
Hagel (R-NE)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stabenow (R-AK)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

[Dog]

I don't hold much hope after looking at the list you posted.

[deport]

Vote 157, Final passage

U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 109^th Congress - 2^nd Session

as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the Senate

Vote Summary

Question: On Passage of the Bill (S. 2611 As Amended )
Vote Number:	157	Vote Date:	May 25, 2006, 05:39 PM
Required For Majority:	1/2	Vote Result:	Bill Passed
Measure Number:	S. 2611 (Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2006 )
Measure Title:	A bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes.

Vote Counts:	YEAs	62
	NAYs	36
	Not Voting	2

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

Alphabetical by Senator Name

Akaka (D-HI), Yea Alexander (R-TN), Nay Allard (R-CO), Nay Allen (R-VA), Nay Baucus (D-MT), Yea Bayh (D-IN), Yea Bennett (R-UT), Yea Biden (D-DE), Yea Bingaman (D-NM), Yea Bond (R-MO), Nay Boxer (D-CA), Yea Brownback (R-KS), Yea Bunning (R-KY), Nay Burns (R-MT), Nay Burr (R-NC), Nay Byrd (D-WV), Nay Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea Chafee (R-RI), Yea Chambliss (R-GA), Nay Clinton (D-NY), Yea Coburn (R-OK), Nay Cochran (R-MS), Nay Coleman (R-MN), Yea Collins (R-ME), Yea Conrad (D-ND), Yea Cornyn (R-TX), Nay Craig (R-ID), Yea Crapo (R-ID), Nay Dayton (D-MN), Yea DeMint (R-SC), Nay DeWine (R-OH), Yea Dodd (D-CT), Yea Dole (R-NC), Nay

Domenici (R-NM), Yea Dorgan (D-ND), Nay Durbin (D-IL), Yea Ensign (R-NV), Nay Enzi (R-WY), Nay Feingold (D-WI), Yea Feinstein (D-CA), Yea Frist (R-TN), Yea Graham (R-SC), Yea Grassley (R-IA), Nay Gregg (R-NH), Yea Hagel (R-NE), Yea Harkin (D-IA), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Nay Hutchison (R-TX), Nay Inhofe (R-OK), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Nay Jeffords (I-VT), Yea Johnson (D-SD), Yea Kennedy (D-MA), Yea Kerry (D-MA), Yea Kohl (D-WI), Yea Kyl (R-AZ), Nay Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Leahy (D-VT), Yea Levin (D-MI), Yea Lieberman (D-CT), Yea Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Lott (R-MS), Nay Lugar (R-IN), Yea Martinez (R-FL), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Yea

McConnell (R-KY), Yea Menendez (D-NJ), Yea Mikulski (D-MD), Yea Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Murray (D-WA), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Nay Obama (D-IL), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea Reed (D-RI), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Nay Rockefeller (D-WV), Not Voting Salazar (D-CO), Not Voting Santorum (R-PA), Nay Sarbanes (D-MD), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Yea Sessions (R-AL), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Nay Smith (R-OR), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea Specter (R-PA), Yea Stabenow (D-MI), Nay Stevens (R-AK), Yea Sununu (R-NH), Nay Talent (R-MO), Nay Thomas (R-WY), Nay Thune (R-SD), Nay Vitter (R-LA), Nay Voinovich (R-OH), Yea Warner (R-VA), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Yea

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs ---62
Akaka (D-HI) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Bennett (R-UT) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Brownback (R-KS) Cantwell (D-WA) Carper (D-DE) Chafee (R-RI) Clinton (D-NY) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Craig (R-ID) Dayton (D-MN) DeWine (R-OH) Dodd (D-CT) Domenici (R-NM) Durbin (D-IL)	Feingold (D-WI) Feinstein (D-CA) Frist (R-TN) Graham (R-SC) Gregg (R-NH) Hagel (R-NE) Harkin (D-IA) Inouye (D-HI) Jeffords (I-VT) Johnson (D-SD) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (D-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL)	McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Menendez (D-NJ) Mikulski (D-MD) Murkowski (R-AK) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Obama (D-IL) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Sarbanes (D-MD) Schumer (D-NY) Smith (R-OR) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stevens (R-AK) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA) Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---36
Alexander (R-TN) Allard (R-CO) Allen (R-VA) Bond (R-MO) Bunning (R-KY) Burns (R-MT) Burr (R-NC) Byrd (D-WV) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Cornyn (R-TX)	Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Dole (R-NC) Dorgan (D-ND) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Grassley (R-IA) Hatch (R-UT) Hutchison (R-TX) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Kyl (R-AZ)	Lott (R-MS) Nelson (D-NE) Roberts (R-KS) Santorum (R-PA) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Stabenow (D-MI) Sununu (R-NH) Talent (R-MO) Thomas (R-WY) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA)

Not Voting - 2
Rockefeller (D-WV)	Salazar (D-CO)

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

Grouped by Home State

Alabama:	Sessions (R-AL), Nay	Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Alaska:	Murkowski (R-AK), Yea	Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Arizona:	Kyl (R-AZ), Nay	McCain (R-AZ), Yea
Arkansas:	Lincoln (D-AR), Yea	Pryor (D-AR), Yea
California:	Boxer (D-CA), Yea	Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Colorado:	Allard (R-CO), Nay	Salazar (D-CO), Not Voting
Connecticut:	Dodd (D-CT), Yea	Lieberman (D-CT), Yea
Delaware:	Biden (D-DE), Yea	Carper (D-DE), Yea
Florida:	Martinez (R-FL), Yea	Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Georgia:	Chambliss (R-GA), Nay	Isakson (R-GA), Nay
Hawaii:	Akaka (D-HI), Yea	Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Idaho:	Craig (R-ID), Yea	Crapo (R-ID), Nay
Illinois:	Durbin (D-IL), Yea	Obama (D-IL), Yea
Indiana:	Bayh (D-IN), Yea	Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Iowa:	Grassley (R-IA), Nay	Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Kansas:	Brownback (R-KS), Yea	Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Kentucky:	Bunning (R-KY), Nay	McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Louisiana:	Landrieu (D-LA), Yea	Vitter (R-LA), Nay
Maine:	Collins (R-ME), Yea	Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Maryland:	Mikulski (D-MD), Yea	Sarbanes (D-MD), Yea
Massachusetts:	Kennedy (D-MA), Yea	Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Michigan:	Levin (D-MI), Yea	Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Minnesota:	Coleman (R-MN), Yea	Dayton (D-MN), Yea
Mississippi:	Cochran (R-MS), Nay	Lott (R-MS), Nay
Missouri:	Bond (R-MO), Nay	Talent (R-MO), Nay
Montana:	Baucus (D-MT), Yea	Burns (R-MT), Nay
Nebraska:	Hagel (R-NE), Yea	Nelson (D-NE), Nay
Nevada:	Ensign (R-NV), Nay	Reid (D-NV), Yea
New Hampshire:	Gregg (R-NH), Yea	Sununu (R-NH), Nay
New Jersey:	Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea	Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
New Mexico:	Bingaman (D-NM), Yea	Domenici (R-NM), Yea
New York:	Clinton (D-NY), Yea	Schumer (D-NY), Yea
North Carolina:	Burr (R-NC), Nay	Dole (R-NC), Nay
North Dakota:	Conrad (D-ND), Yea	Dorgan (D-ND), Nay
Ohio:	DeWine (R-OH), Yea	Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Oklahoma:	Coburn (R-OK), Nay	Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Oregon:	Smith (R-OR), Yea	Wyden (D-OR), Yea
Pennsylvania:	Santorum (R-PA), Nay	Specter (R-PA), Yea
Rhode Island:	Chafee (R-RI), Yea	Reed (D-RI), Yea
South Carolina:	DeMint (R-SC), Nay	Graham (R-SC), Yea
South Dakota:	Johnson (D-SD), Yea	Thune (R-SD), Nay
Tennessee:	Alexander (R-TN), Nay	Frist (R-TN), Yea
Texas:	Cornyn (R-TX), Nay	Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Utah:	Bennett (R-UT), Yea	Hatch (R-UT), Nay
Vermont:	Jeffords (I-VT), Yea	Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Virginia:	Allen (R-VA), Nay	Warner (R-VA), Yea
Washington:	Cantwell (D-WA), Yea	Murray (D-WA), Yea
West Virginia:	Byrd (D-WV), Nay	Rockefeller (D-WV), Not Voting
Wisconsin:	Feingold (D-WI), Yea	Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Wyoming:	Enzi (R-WY), Nay	Thomas (R-WY), Nay

Vote Summary

By Senator Name

By Vote Position

By Home State

[Mo1]

crap

ping to list on #108

[RodgerD]

Unfortunately the Minutemen would be largely bypassed by the Senate treason which triples third-world migration via legal channels. So folks now intercepted by the MM are going to be crossing legally, albeit in much greater numbers, at official border crossings, with their "guest-worker" papers in hand.

[steveegg]

Long-term DemonRAT majority? I dare say permanent, at least until American soverignty is suborned by the UN once and for all.

And that's even if conservatives don't tell the RepubicRATs to go <expletive deleted> themselves.

[Vicomte13]

Hmmmmm.

So, 41 Senators voted against it.
Which means that they COULD have filibustered it.
But they chose not to.

Hmmmmm.

Alright, so, what's next?

Conference committee - either the House doesn't cave, in which case there's no bill, and the status quo (which is 2 million illegals a year) is preserved; or the House caves, in which case, we make cheap exploitable labor LEGAL. The business lobby wins big either way.

And in November?