Immigration Bill Suffers Stunning Defeat

NewsMax ^ | June 8, 2007

[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.

[ken21]

the feds could enforce current laws.

but they won’t.

why? enforcing u.s. border laws would stop the illegal drug traffic from which many individuals, high and low, and police and government agencies derive their power and glory.

[stevie_d_64]

I know I’m stunned!!!

Now can we now just get to enforceming what we have on the books now???

And allow local and state enforcement agencies to agressively enforce what the Feds cannot seem to get in gear enough to do to make an impact???

[Pharmboy]

Yes...you very well may be correct. On abortion, faith and foreign policy Dubya always said and did the right things. But on government size, on McCain-Feingold and on immigration he may as well be a dummocrat.

[brydic1]

It’s not over until we hear these politicians including GWB say, “The people have spoken and they want no part of this amnesty bill”. Then and only then can we expect this “cabal” to stop pushing this travesty on the American people.

[Guenevere]

Pharmboy, those very reasons....abortion, faith, WOT....kept me defending him when 'other' decisions he made rankled or seemed out of sync.

I have been anxious and my stomach has been 'off' for several weeks....
..ever since I realized he authored & pushed this hideous 'bill'.

I get it now.

The country gets it now.

I'll never feel the same about him again, because he has completely lost my trust.

[rurgan]

to stop illegal immigration.

1. build the Fence.

2. Get rid of Welfare, Medicaid , Public Housing, and ridiculous laws that force Hospitals to treat the uninsured. Notice all these problems were created by government interference in free market capitalism.

3. Look at how Republican President IKe stopped illegal immigration in the 1950’s.

4. Make it easy to verify who is an illegal quickly. Increase penalties on employers.

5. Elect Duncan Hunter or Tancredo who will do many of these things.

[longtermmemmory]

The only people shocked are the dinosaur media types.

They have no clue about the popular opposition.

[longtermmemmory]

TRUE!

Look for them to try and slip in the "Dream Act" otherwise known as the "ALL MINORS REGARDLESS OF CITIZENSHIP ARE ANCHOR BABIES ACT"!

(Durbin’s pet project)

[reagan_fanatic]

Good points. Although we won this time, we must not let our guard down - the bill may be dead for now, but you can bet your last dollar it will be brought back in another form by George and Co., and we’d better be ready to defeat it then as well.

[Pharmboy]

Indeed...you speak for me and I would guess the majority of Freepers at this point in time. We were his base and he kicked us in the butt. I am through defending him.

[from occupied ga]

The fence is primarily a symbolic gesture unless it's patrolled like the DDR patrolled it's boundary before the wall came down.

Getting rid of the economic incentives ie the government largesse that is lavished on these people would go a long way. No school for the ninos, no free medical care, no food stamps, no assisted housing.

Hell Atlanta still has 80,000 Katrina welfare scum sucking up taxpayer dollars from two years ago - the living is good if someone else is forced at gunpoint to pay for your expenses.

Gwinnette county alone has an estimated 400,000 hispanic "immigrants" unknown how many are illegal. Government loves welfare recipients because the welfare queens emport the bureaucrats.

[longtermmemmory]

Last night in his vow to bring this back, admitted this bill could be seen as amnesty though he PERSONALLY did not agree...

All the whining was along the vein of calling Amnesty to be Amnesty is what topedoed this AMNESTY bill. They were complaining about the duck test marketing.

[Bryan24]

Senator Jeff Sessions, (R)-Alabama

What Senator Sessions lacks in charisma and public speaking skills, he makes up for in principle and commitment to doing what's right.

I just called his office in Washington and asked the receptionist to give him a big hug for me. Since I'm a 43 year-old male from Rednecksville, Alabama and sound like a coal-miner, I think she was a little amused at that request. But when I told her how proud I was of Senators Sessions and DeMint and others for standing up for this country and defeating this bill, she sounded genuinely pleased and said she would pass along my thanks and gratitude for his hard work.

Give the good guys a call today and thank them.

[Bryan24]

A Real Immigration Reform Plan

1. Secure the Borders
a. Install 750 miles of fence within 180 days. Priority funding.
b. Hire, train, and deploy 5,000 new border agents ASAP, with extreme urgency. Priority funding.
c. Use military surveillance hardware/personnel to monitor unfenced gaps. Priority funding.

2. Deport Illegal Aliens
a. Priority 1 - Any illegal alien who has committed a non-violent crime and is currently incarcerated is to be immediately deported and permanently banned from entry into the US.
b. Priority 2 – Any illegal alien who is arrested/detained/discovered during the course of normal police activities is to be finger-printed, deported and permanently banned from entry into the US.
c. Priority 3 – Any illegal alien who is discovered through active ICE investigation processes is to be finger-printed, deported and permanently banned from entry into the US.

3. Positive Identification/Punish Employers of Illegal Aliens
a. Institute a National Visa Database (NVD). Data entered by ICE, accessed via web by all potential employers.
b. Require all persons entering the US for the purpose of working to submit to fingerprinting and photograph. This person is issued a uniquely numbered ID card issued from the NVD with photograph.
c. Require ALL employers to provide proof of legal status for all employees. $100,000 fine per illegal alien employed.

[John Leland 1789]

It is especially important now that we bombard our congressional leaders with insistence that they demand administration enforcement of existing immigrations/border laws . . . NOW!

[John Leland 1789]

We reside in China under a contract with a small clothing firm. I must keep in my possession a work permit that has my photograph and my residence address, which must be kept current. Chinese immigrations officials visit our apartment on a regular basis to see if we are still residing where we stated we would.

We are ALIENS in China, and EVEN China has the right to know who are the aliens in their country, where they reside, and what they are doing here. We respect that and obey their immigrations laws.

By the way, we earn NO money at all from the Chinese people. They take money out of our pockets, though. And it costs us about $1,000 (USD) per year in fees to the government for the residence permits for my family members.

[rurgan]

Only 7 or so Republican Senators, the RINOs voted not to kill this Bill. The REST of REPUBLICAN senators voted to kill this bill. They all deserve our thanks and for us to stop bashing the GOP. Think if you are one of these MANY Republican Senators who did the right thing by voting to kill this bill and all you hear still is relentless bashing of the GOP from conservatives and liberals? That will make anyone give up. I haven't seen any praise for these Republican Senators who stood up to the media,Democrats and Bush and did the right thing by killing this bill. Bashing Republicans is part of most people's DNA now it seems. Bush doesn't = GOP.

The 7 RINOS who voted not to kill this Amnesty bill are not real Republicans but they are just liberal democrat,moles posing as “republicans” who call themselves Republicans. These RINOS voted NOT to kill this Bill. These are the usual suspects like Hagel,Spetre, Lugar, McCain. REPEAT these are NOT Republicans but liberal/communist MOLES. These "republican" RINO moles almost always vote on the liberal side of the issues with the Democrats to provide cover for the Democrats/socialists. With this cover then the liberal media and Michael Weiner (”Michael Savage”) another liberal trojan horse can put the full blame on Republicans for every bad bill and every conservative thing not done.

If you look at the actual VOTES then you wil see that most Republicans actually do the right thing most of the time but all we hear is bashing of the GOP from Weiner and the media. Most Republicans voted on the right side for Tax cuts, to kill this Amnesty bill, and against McCain-FienGold to give just 3 examples. It was only the combined force of the RINOS and Democrats that passed McCain-FienGold. 90% of Democrats voted against tax cuts for McCain-FeinGold and for Amnesty but the media and Weiner blame the GOP. And I can and will post the links to the votes .

Bush has been wrong on several issues but he is an individual and does not speak for every Republican. However he is president so the media and Weiner can use any action by Bush to generalize the whole GOP and the government educated morons buy this without looking at the actual votes. The government educated morons don’t have any clue how the government works,how we are a nation of laws not a dictatorship , that 84% of spending if you include military spending is mandated by law,and that is is hard to pass legislation even if you have a majority as this Amnesty bill showed. Liberals are winning the propaganda war. And liberal Trojan Horses like Weiner("Michael Savage") who called for the Resignation of the Republican leader of the house Dennis Hastert during the height of the election and the liberal media generated Foley “scandal” are leading this war against freedom. as a result democrats won control of congress and Amnesty got closer to passing.

[Doofer]

I wonder how this is being portrayed on Spanish language radio stations in the southwest part of the country.

With all due respect - I really don't give a sh*t.

I understand, I was just curious if marching in protest that will lead to riots are in the works...?

[PhilDragoo]

Jan Mikelson WHO Des Moines has Tancredo on now--played Trent Lott boohooing, "Have we become a bunch of mice?"

Then played Lindsey Light-Loafers whining on and on.

Ted Kennedy and Trent Lott and L³ were supporters--making opposition the default decent decision (d³).

[Travis McGee]

Lott and Lindsey: If they are the face of the R party, we’re doomed.

But I hope it is those two (and other RINOS) who are doomed.