Posted on 06/07/2007 9:10:00 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
A broad immigration bill to legalize millions of people in the U.S. unlawfully failed a crucial test vote in the Senate Thursday, a stunning setback that could spell its defeat for the year.
The vote was 45-50 against limiting debate on the bill, 15 short of the 60 that the bill's supporters needed to prevail. Most Republicans voted to block Democrats' efforts to bring the bill to a final vote.
The legislation, which had been endorsed by President Bush, would tighten borders, institute a new system to prevent employers from hiring undocumented workers in addition to giving up to 12 million illegal immigrants a pathway to legal status.
Conceived by an improbable coalition that nicknamed the deal a "grand bargain," the measure exposed deep rifts within both parties and is loathed by most GOP conservatives.
Senate Majority Harry Reid, D-Nev., who had made no secret of his distaste for parts of the bill, said earlier he would move on to other matters if the immigration measure's supporters didn't get 60 votes Thursday night.
The defeat set off a bitter round of partisan recriminations, with Democrats and Republicans each accusing the other of killing it.
Most Republicans voted against ending debate, saying they needed more time to make the bill tougher with tighter border security measures and a more arduous legalization process for unlawful immigrants.
All but a handful of Democrats supported the move, but they, too, were holding their noses at provisions of the bill. Many of them argued it makes second-class citizens of a new crop of temporary workers and rips apart families by prioritizing employability over blood ties in future immigration.
Still, they had argued that the measure, on balance, was worth advancing.
"We can all find different aspects of this legislation that we differ with," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, the leading Democratic architect of the bill.
Reid, who had made no secret of his distaste for parts of the bill, quickly pulled it from the floor and moved on to other business, costing the measure perhaps its best chance at enactment.
He insisted that the immigration bill is not dead for the year. "I, even though disappointed, look forward to passing this bill," Reid said.
Glad the legislation failed and glad that it is causing so much hand wringing and sobbing and heartbreak at NewsMax.
Very happy this bill died an inglorious death. Just can’t feel too great, though, knowing what a horrible backstabbing president Bush turned out to be.
YES!!!!!!!
“So Harry and Nancy won’t get their voters after all?”
Oh, I’m sure they do ...should’ve been named “The Democratic Voter Legalization Act”!!!!
What worries me is the reaction of GWB to this face slap. He may well stop any further efforts to enforce border policing and completely dismantle efforts to build the fence. Remember he is the only one who can decide whether the laws of the land will be enforced and so far he has mostly decided not to enforce immigration laws. What can we do if he does proceed to further aid illegal immigration?
Good question, and that is the next step. We need to keep our voices loud and just like we demanded this bill fail, we must demand that the fence be built and enforcement is stepped up NOW!
Our new rallying cry—”Where’s the Fence??”
What praise should a man like Kennedy get, when justice is not yet found for the young woman he left to drown.
As did I.
Senator Sessions needs to be thanked by all for being of the the few beacons of truth regarding this issue.
..It's NOT OVER!
And I want to THANK-YOU for your tireless posts around the FR forum, supplying us with phone numbers and info!
Please do!
He's not, and never was, one of us...
Nothing else makes sense....
..we were snuckered.
That's the key right there!! They will self deport after you get them trapped like rats.
There I fixed it so that it tells the truth and that was only one small paragraph.
That's what I'd like to know. Senator Larry Craig of Idaho usually blocked ANY effort to stem the flow of illegal aliens.
While this sounds macho and tough in reality it is not possible, because employer DO NOT KNOW WHO IS ILLEGAL Illegals have very good forgeries that they get: a phony drivers license, SS card and residency documentation (informally known as a "green card") can be purchased for as little as $125 for the package. The government doesn't let private individuals look in their motor vehicle database and won't check for the private individuals. Now if an employer refuses to hire hispanics because they might be illegal , then they are guilty of discriminatory hiring practices and get massive fines and possible jail time. So they are put into an impossible situation by the government that has absolutely no interest in protecting the taxpayers from the the army of illegals that is plundering the economy of the usa as long as the bureaucrats get empowered by giving away our future.
However, if an illegal has been here for 5 minutes they get
Do you begin to see where the real problem lies. CUT OFF ALL government assistance unless there is proof of legal residnecy. Do away with the "anchor baby" concept. ANy child born to an illegal resident should automatically assume the citizenship of the mother AND THEN DEPORT the suckers. If Germany could murder 10 million people and stalin could murder 25 million people Surely we could fine and deport 12 million it isn't as though they would be harmed by being returned to Mexico.
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