Spirits among conservative critics of the immigration bill have brightened today following several Senate votes that indicate at least 40 senators could block the bill during a cloture vote tomorrow.
Well-placed sources tell me that activists are focusing their attention on the following list of senators: Sam Brownback (R.-Kan.), Richard Burr (R.-N.C.), Saxby Chambliss (R.-Ga.), Larry Craig (R.-Idaho), Pete Domenici (R.-N.M.), Byron Dorgan (D.-N.D.), John Ensign (R.-Nev.), Mike Enzi (R.-Wyo.), Judd Gregg (R.-N.H.), Johnny Isakson (R.-Ga.), Jon Kyl (R.-Ariz.), Mary Landrieu (D.-La.), Trent Lott (R.-Miss.), Mitch McConnell (R.-Ky.), Claire McCaskill (D.-Mo.), Ben Nelson (D.-Neb.), Mark Pryor (D.-Ark.), Debbie Stabenow (D.-Mich.), John Sununu (R.-N.H.), Jon Tester (D.-Mont.), George Voinovich (R.-Ohio), Jim Webb (D.-Va.), and John Warner (R.-Va.).
These individuals are apparently still non-committal about how they will vote on the final bill or could be swayed depending on votes either for or against amendments to the bill.
Conservatives’ renewed optimism came after three votes on amendments to the bill, all of which garnered at least 41 votes — the number needed to block cloture.
• An amendment by Sen. John Cornyn ? to bar gang members, sex offenders, terrorists, and alien absconders from receiving amensty was defeated 46-51.
• An amendment by Sen. Jim DeMint (R.-S.C.) to requiring health-care coverage for holders of nonimmigrant Z-visas was Defeated 43-55.
• An amendment by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D.-N.M.) to remove the requirement that guest workers leave the United States before they are able to renew their visa was defeated 41-57.
Although these amendments fell short of the votes needed for passage, the efforts of activists have made a difference. The outreach by conservative groups to mobilize their supports, increasing phone calls to Senate offices and activism back home, may be working.
FREAKING AMAZING
An amendment by Sen. John Cornyn ? to bar gang members, sex offenders, terrorists, and alien absconders from receiving amensty was defeated 46-51.
Here's a morbid thought:
Is it really 40 Senators block it, or 60 Senators vote to pass it? Remember, Sen. Thomas died the other day, and Sen. Johnson is still not voting, so that leaves only 98 votes to be had, making it harder to get 60 affirmative votes to end debate (not 40 negative votes to prolong debate).
Is cloture based on the number of seats or the number of Senators? If Sen. Johnson were to retire tomorrow, would that mean that with 98 Senators in Congress, cloture would only needs 59 votes to pass?
-PJ
Immigration Bill in Doubt After Vote
WASHINGTON -- A fragile compromise that would legalize millions of unlawful immigrants risks coming unraveled after the Senate voted early Thursday to place a five-year limit on a program meant to provide U.S. employers with 200,000 temporary foreign workers annually.
The 49-48 vote came two weeks after the Senate, also by a one-vote margin, rejected the same amendment by Sen. Byron Dorgan. The North Dakota Democrat says immigrants take many jobs Americans could fill.
The reversal dismayed backers of the immigration bill, which is supported by President Bush but loathed by many conservatives. Business interests and their congressional allies were already angry that the temporary worker program had been cut in half from its original 400,000-person-a-year target.
A five-year sunset, they said, could knock the legs from the precarious bipartisan coalition aligned with the White House. The Dorgan amendment "is a tremendous problem, but it's correctable," said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa. The coalition will try as early as Thursday to persuade at least one senator to help reverse the outcome yet again, he said...
Yes, here in MT tester slithered in w/1729 votes out of 250,000 cast. It is well known that he has his lips permanently sewn to schumer’s seat warmer. If he votes for this amnesty bill and it passes = recall election.
It would be nice to know who voted against this. I bet they were all RATS.