The D.R.E.A.M. Act is dead.

[peejay 327]

Republicans block youth (illegal) immigration bill

WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans have blocked a bill to grant hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children a chance to gain legal status if they enroll in college or join the military.

Sponsors of what they call the Dream Act needed 60 Senate votes for it, but fell five short. The House passed the bill last week. It was a last-ditch effort to enact it before it Republicans take control of the House from Democrats in January.

Immigrant advocates viewed the measure as a step toward providing a path to legal status for up to 12 million illegal immigrants by focusing on the most sympathetic among them first. Critics called it a back-door grant of amnesty that would encourage more illegal immigration.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101218/ap_on_go_co/us_immigration_students

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Republicans block youth (illegal) immigration bill

Yes, what a sad state this country is in when a minority can obstruct a populist piece of legislation from even going to an up or down vote.

[Pooky 3,807]

Yes, what a sad state this country is in when a minority can obstruct a populist piece of legislation from even going to an up or down vote.

Since when have you ever been a populist?

Almost 70% of the country support enforcing current immigration laws and reducing out illegal alien population and you call it mob rule to be opposed. You can't have it both ways.

[JimVaPhuong 4,863]

Yes, what a sad state this country is in when a minority can obstruct a populist piece of legislation from even going to an up or down vote.

I guess this country has been in a sad state for a very long time, since the filibuster has been part of the standing rules of the Senate for nearly as long as this country has existed. It remains in the Senate rules precisely because Senators do not represent a majority or minority of Americans, but are allotted equally with two Senators per state, regardless of the population of the state. This means the two Senators from Wyoming, the least populated state, have just as much voting power as the two Senators from California, the most populated state.

The House of Representatives effectively eliminated the filibuster in the mid 1800's because it was a parliamentary procedure that wasn't necessary. Each member of the House of Representatives represents approximately the same number of Americans.

As far as whether the proposed legislation is "populist", a recent Rasmussen poll indicates Americans are about evenly divided on the issue:

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/immigration/voters_have_mixed_feelings_about_legalizing_young_people_brought_here_illegally

On a personal note, this was a blatant attempt to ram through legislation in the lame duck session that had no chance of passing after the January power shift. I wouldn't agree with this legislation without major changes.

[luckytxn 2,264]

Sometimes they get it right up there.

[Glyn and Kathy 288]

Good...why should anyone be allowed in without going through the legal channels that are available. With the cost and aggravation that we all here have gone through, I would be really mad if it went through. Yes, I understand that many of these people were brought here as children...but it honestly doesn't matter to me.

[sjr09 155]

Senate Rejects DREAM Act!

In a 55-41 vote, the Senate voted down the House version of the DREAM Act (H.R.5281). Sixty Senators were required to end debate on this bill, and in the end, amnesty supporters came up five short. Thanks to all of FAIR's members, activists and supporters who over the past days and weeks contacted their Senators and urged them to oppose this bad legislation and bad public policy. There is no doubt that grassroots activism was the key to this win! Notably, several Senators switched their votes since the last time the Senate voted on the DREAM Act in 2007 (S.2205). Senators Murkowski, Landrieu, Conrad, Dorgan, and McCaskill all voted no in 2007, but voted yes today. Others, such as Senators Brownback, Nelson (NE), Collins, and Snowe voted yes in 2007, but voted no today. Four Senators did not vote.

To see how your Senators voted, click here. FAIR will report more on this weekend's vote in Monday's Legislative Update.

[sachinky 465]

w00t! w00t!

[sachinky 465]

Hurrah!

[peejay 327]

Yes, what a sad state this country is in when a minority can obstruct a populist piece of legislation from even going to an up or down vote.

Here is the Senate vote.

Democrats: 51-yea 5-nay 1-not noting

Republicans: 3-yea 36-nay 3-not voting

Independent: 1-yea

Here is the House vote.

Democrats: 208-yea 38-nay 9-not voting

Republicans: 8-yea 160-nay 11-not voting

These are not landslide votes and far from being populist. Most of the American public is against mass illegal alien amnesty regardless what the political class voting record reflects.

[ceadsearc 516]

Sad day for America.

[DEDixon 39]

lame pandering to hispanic voters. dems knew it wouldn't pass, but they had to put this feather in their hat so to remind hispanic voters later.

[Ban Hammer 13,400]

lame pandering to hispanic voters. dems knew it wouldn't pass, but they had to put this feather in their hat so to remind hispanic voters later.

good point.

[tmma 467]

Good. It's my opinion that the DREAM Act was just a way to get more the Hispanic votes.

[peejay 327]

Good. It's my opinion that the DREAM Act was just a way to get more the Hispanic votes.

Imported foreign votes at that. And using illegal aliens to increase Democratic voter numbers. Pretty pathetic. The Dems look at the 12-20 million illegal aliens in our country as Undocumented Democrats. This is not only pathetic, but troubling. It is a danger to democracy.

Edited December 19, 2010 by peejay