Posted on 12/02/2010 9:30:11 AM PST by freespirited
Senate Democrats have introduced their fifth version of the DREAM Act this year in a bid to tackle concerns from critics and win support from a handful of moderate lawmakers from both parties.
But the immigration legislation continues to draw fire from opponents and face stiff odds in the lame-duck session — and this was even before Republicans vowed Wednesday to filibuster all bills until the Senate votes to extend Bush-era tax cuts and fund the federal government.
The DREAM Act would provide a path to legalization for immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children, if they go to college or serve in the military for at least two years.
The latest version, filed by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) late Tuesday night, would bar illegal immigrants from receiving in-state college tuition; drops the age of eligibility to 29 from 34; would not grant permanent legal status to anyone for at least 10 years; would restrict eligibility for those who commit certain misdemeanor crimes; and would limit individuals from being able to sponsor family members for U.S. citizenship, among other changes.
Those who receive conditional legal status under the DREAM Act also would be ineligible for Medicaid, food stamps and other government-funded benefits.
The new bill “simply is an effort to deal with any potential costs estimates [to] make it revenue-neutral,” said Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the only Hispanic member of the Senate and an ardent DREAM Act advocate. “There wouldn’t be any reason for anyone to vote against it because it wouldn’t cost anything.”
Reid said he planned to file a cloture motion Tuesday night so the Senate could proceed to the DREAM Act, but that was before he and Durbin rolled out a new version. Reid spokesman Jim Manley said the earliest his boss could file cloture would be Thursday, possibly setting up a test vote next week.
“That’s still the plan,” said Durbin, the bill’s chief sponsor, when asked if Democrats were still moving forward.
Still, it’s unclear if the changes will help Reid muster the 60 votes needed to thwart a Republican filibuster. At least two moderate Democrats — Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas — have voiced opposition to previous versions of the bill, and others are still on the fence.
“I haven’t taken a position on that yet,” said freshman Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.).
Republican leaders are determined to block a lame-duck vote on the DREAM Act, with Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama telling POLITICO that “not much has changed” with the new version. As the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sessions lamented that the Senate hasn’t held a hearing on the legislation in seven years.
“I just feel strongly that American people with this election clearly expressed the view that amnesty — which this bill has by any definition of the word — should not be granted,” he said, “particularly not while we have lawlessness continuing at our borders.”
Sessions added: “We should not during this lame-duck session try to ram through this controversial legislation that is contrary to what the American people want."
Among other requirements that remained in the latest version of the bill: Immigrants must have entered the U.S. before age 16, lived in the country at least five consecutive years before the bill’s enactment; been admitted to a college or earned a high-school diploma or GED certificate.
Under the latest version, DREAM Act applicants would be ineligible if they have committed one felony or three misdemeanors; engaged in voter or marriage fraud; or abused a student visa, among other offenses.
He’s a typical pol-—planning ahead-—for the inevitable.
Ping!
Ping.
Lying Rats!!!!
Manchin is still considering.
Prior to the elections, he said he would challenge Reid’s agenda. http://www.thenextuselections.com/html/wv_senator.html
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