Posted on 06/25/2007 3:14:37 PM PDT by Jacksonville Patriot
Cloture Buy-Offs [Rich Lowry]
One method supporters of the bill are apparently using to good effect is to promise senators votes on their amendments to get them to vote for cloture. This is working even when it is amendments that have no chance of passing. For instance, Sen. Bond's office tells me that he is going to vote for cloture on the motion to proceed. He will then offer an amendment that has made the approved list to strip out the path of citizenship in the bill (meaning no green cards). This will inevitably fail. In which case, Bond will vote against cloture the second time and against final passage. This dynamic means opponents of the bill might pick up a vote or two on the second cloture vote, but Bond will still have done his bit to advance the underlying bill through his first cloture vote. He should just vote "no" tomorrow.
06/25 06:09 PM
Understand...... Thanks
Parliamentary procedure can be fun!! If you have a really strange mind.
A vote “no” would spare everyone the concern Senator Bond, why complicate things if you don’t support this bill..?
Oh I get it.....
The latest clarification from Sen. Boxer ... I know - probably a waste of energy on her but I included her in the list ... because she “choke” represents me.
Dear Mr. nnnnn:
Thank you for contacting me to express your views on immigration reform. I appreciate hearing from you.
As you may know, the Senate recently debated the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007.
In its initial form, this bill was unworkable and unfair. I was particularly troubled by its proposal to create a new guestworker program. I have always had problems with guestworker programs because I believe they lead to increased illegal immigration, a downward pressure on American wages, and a loss of workplace protections.
That is why on June 7, 2007, I voted to prevent the bill from proceeding to a final vote. A revised version of the bill has since been introduced in the Senate as S.1639. Be assured that I am working to improve this bill, and I will continue to fight for measures that protect American workers and reduce illegal immigration.
Again, thank you for writing to me. Please feel free to contact me again about this or any other issue of concern to you.
Barbara Boxer
United States Senator
Please visit my website at http://boxer.senate.gov
Does that mean Bond is no longer sitting on the fence and will vote against cloture?
I sent him an email earlier today but could not call from work.
Right, but it will pick up votes before the second votes with back room “pet amendments” making it more likely to pass the second time.
Its a shell game, which has repeated many times over and over again in the Senate. Assuming he votes for clouture the first time, Senator Bond knows his amendment will not pass in the Senate. If it does not he can supposedly safely vote against the bill on final passage, which requires only 51 votes to pass, thereby claiming he was against the bill to begin with. In other words he will have voted for the bill before he voted against it.
bump
The following is the issue at stake presently.....
COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM ACT OF 2007 -- (Senate - June 20, 2007)
---
CLOTURE MOTION
Mr. REID. Mr. President, if I could do a little bit of business, and I will yield to the distinguished Senator from Delaware.
I was going to ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. 1639, the immigration legislation, at a time to be determined by the majority leader following consultation with the Republican leader. However, I am advised there would be an objection from the Republican side, so I am not going to ask for that unanimous consent.
Therefore, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 208, S. 1639, and I send a cloture motion to the desk.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
Cloture Motion
We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 208, S. 1639, Immigration.
Ted Kennedy, Russell D. Feingold, Daniel K. Inouye, Tom Carper, Sheldon Whitehouse, Pat Leahy, Richard J. Durbin, Benjamin L. Cardin, Ken Salazar, Frank R. Lautenberg, Joe Lieberman, Dianne Feinstein, John Kerry, Charles Schumer, Ben Nelson, B.A. Mikulski.Mr. REID. I now ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum required under rule XXII be waived, and I therefore withdraw the motion.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
I understand how that works, but the first cloture vote is for the purpose of bringing it back on the floor. The second vote would be whether or not to let the bill go to final vote. So you can still kill it with the second cloture vote.
Exactimundo.
The House Rules, however, would do Lenin proud. Someone in the minority can't do anything the majority doesn;t permit!
Exactly. Supposedly the simple majority needed to pass the bill exists. The problem is shutting off a filibuster, which requires more votes--60.
Senators know that they can vote yes on cloture and stay in the good graces of the party leadership because supposedly that is all the leadership needs to ram this outrage through. Meanwhile, they think they can vote no on the actual bill and fool we the people into believing that they opposed shamnesty.
I'm also hearing it can die on a budget point of order as well. Stay tuned. There are three hurdles this monstrosity must clear.
Bottom line: keep telling them how you feel.
I thought A GOOD ‘Ole Phillibuster was means so that horendous legislation NEVER made it to the light of day!!
It’s shameful how the Senate is run today: it’s almost a DICTATORSHIP.
The tune Bond is playing:
Just say NO to Illegal Alien Amnesty!! Keep calling!! It’s NOT OVER!!
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U.S. House switchboard: (202) 225-3121
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bttt
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