Immigration Bill in Limbo (R.I.P.)

Breibart.com (AP) ^ | June 7, 2007 | JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS

[xtinct]

WASHINGTON (AP) - A fragile bipartisan compromise that would legalize millions of unlawful immigrants suffered a setback Thursday when it failed a test vote in the Senate, leaving its prospects uncertain. Still, the measure—a top priority for President Bush that's under attack from the right and left—won a brief reprieve when Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said he would give it more time before yanking the bill and moving on to other matters.

His decision set the stage for yet another procedural vote later Thursday that will measure lawmakers' appetite for a so-called "grand bargain" between liberals and conservatives on immigration.

If that fails, Reid threatened, "The bill's over with."

[sheana]

They are jamming the pro amnesty lines in support of this bill.

[Gondring]

Maybe we need to push for an amendment that says NO ONE can serve more than two terms in any elected postition.

So you like the way Jorge doesn't have a reason to listen to the electorate since he can't run again?

[taxed2death]

Supposedly.... “fast track” for all the NAU garbage is buried deep within this bill....so other FReepers have told me.

[ConservativeDude]

They aren’t on FR today, as best I can see anyways....

[Not A Snowbird]

If that fails, Reid threatened, "The bill's over with."

Promise?

[LALALAW]

Isn’t the real solution here to make Mexico a U.S. Commonwealth? We will never stop reconquista—and the current pols won’t do the obvious—take a time out, build a border that doesn’t leak like a seive, prove it works, and then talk about what we do with the law breakers. We want our Government to at least play defense. What we really need to do is take the offensive approach. Find politicians who want to clean up Mexico, affirmatively.

[California Patriot]

Don’t believe anything Dingy Harry says. But things do seem to be looking up.

[California Patriot]

Trent Lott: “I’ve about had it.”

Priceless.

[ConservativeDude]

A fragile bipartisan compromise that would legalize millions of unlawful immigrants ..”

I thought GWB said this wasn’t amnesty?

[Moonman62]

That’s why they did not pull this crap before the 06 election. They are hoping the anger will be gone by then. I don’t think it will, even if it dies the painful death it deserves.

W's reputation with many Republicans and conservatives is shot for good. Many of his supporters held out for a long time, but this was the last straw.

His legacy phrase will be "doing the work Americans won't do."

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

From the Blogosphere:

Does your senator support enforcing our laws?
Shamnesty on the Senate floor, Day 3,
Take 2 Specter/Reid vs. Sessions; McCain/Graham suck up to Kennedy
Reid once again calls on Bush to bail out shamnesty
By Michelle Malkin · June 07, 2007 01:10 PM

*****************************EXCERPTS*****************************

I liveblogged the vote on the Coburn amendment earlier this morning. The roll call deserves its own separate post. I've underlined the Republicans who voted against the Coburn amendment to fully enforce existing immigration laws. Everything you need to know about your US Senators' commitment to the rule of law is right here. Note that GOP presidential candidate Sen. John McCain didn't bother to cast a vote:

These are the existing laws that the opponents of the Coburn amendment do not want fully enforced:

EXISTING LAW.--The following provisions of existing law shall be fully implemented, as previously directed by the Congress, prior to the certification set forth in paragraph (1):

(A) The Department has achieved and maintained operational control over the entire international land and maritime borders of the United States as required under the Secure Fence Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-367)

(B) The total miles of fence required under such Act have been constructed.

(C) All databases maintained by the Department which contain information on aliens shall be fully integrated as required by section 202 of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 (8 U.S.C. 1722).

(D) The Department shall have implemented a system to record the departure of every alien departing the United States and of matching records of departure with the records of arrivals in the United States through the US-VISIT program as required by section 110 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1221 note).

(E) The provision of law that prevents States and localities from adopting ``sanctuary'' policies or that prevents State and local employees from communicating with the Department are fully enforced as required by section 642 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1373).

(F) The Department employs fully operational equipment at each port of entry and uses such equipment in a manner that allows unique biometric identifiers to be compared and visas, travel documents, passports, and other documents authenticated in accordance with section 303 of the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002 (8 U.S.C. 1732).

(G) An alien with a border crossing card is prevented from entering the United States until the biometric identifier on the border crossing card is matched against the alien as required by section 101(a)(6) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(6)).

(H) Any alien who is likely to become a public charge is denied entry into the United States pursuant to section 212(a)(4) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1182(a)(4)).

Telling, very telling.

***

This is telling, too (via Fran Coombs at the WashTimes):

Often lost in the big picture coverage of major legislative issues like the now-troubled Bush-Kennedy immigration bill are the little moments that say everything about how Washington works. They’re the little moments that your legislators don’t want you to know about and figure will never make it back home through the media.

But Stephen Dinan, our excellent national political reporter who has led the way for months on coverage of immigration legislation, captured this priceless moment in his story this morning as the supporters of the bill struggled to keep it together.

The late-night vote was on an amendment that would require illegal aliens who get legal status to have a minimum level of health insurance. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the Massachusetts Democrat who is the chamber’s most liberal member, was — not surprisingly — opposed.

Writes Mr. Dinan: “Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona both went to check with Mr. Kennedy before casting their votes to match his. Soon after, (Arizona Republican Sen. Jon) Kyl also switched his vote to match Mr. Kennedy’s.”

The amendment was defeated.

[struggle]

Well, we came in from Japan after 9/11, so that probably why.

[Alkhin]

OH THANK YOU GOD YOU DO LISTEN!!!

Keep praying folks. It was all I had in the wee hours of the morning, watching the moon and wondering if God had completely abandoned us.

[rbg81]

Don’t be fooled—the suckfish in Congress will find a way to push this monstrosity through—bank on it.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

See #51

[rbg81]

A fragile bipartisan compromise that would legalize millions of unlawful immigrants ..”

Another thing, I’m sick of the MSM making this bill sound like the opening description of the Rebellion in Star Wars.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

It's not over.....

From michelle's Blog linked just above:

***************************EXCERPT***************************

MSNBC guesstimating a vote time between 4pm and 8pm Eastern.

3:00pm Eastern. Reid: "This is the president's bill...I want to help the president. I think I've done everything I can. Asking for consent to vote on some amendments and call on some amendments to be set aside."

Asks for debate until 4:15pm.

[JoanneSD]

juan, and lyndsy are both disgraces.. asking Ted the guy who has 0% average of workable illegal immigration bills, how to vote..I called Reids office finally got thru to the LV office, and the gal said a lot of calls were coming in, and most against the illegal immigrant bill..

[massgopguy]

My Grandfather had to jump through German machine gun fire in the Argonne Forest to get his.

[fishbabe]

Thats not even the worst part of the bill....It allows CRIMINALS to be legalized....