9 Comments
Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
Stumble
Published Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010 | 12:27 a.m.
Updated Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010 | 12:28 a.m.
Harry Reid
Sun coverage
Nevadans who have been following the debates on the repeal of the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy and passage of the DREAM Act will want to be paying attention early this morning.
The Senate is coming in for a special Saturday session to take two critical votes to long-running, contentious debates over social issues in the morning.
First up is the DREAM Act, which would give undocumented youths enslited in the military or enrolled in college the chance to become U.S. citizens.
Chances for that one to pass are slim in the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had maneuvered the DREAM Act out of consideration earlier this week by tabling the issue — a move apparently meant to protect the bill from a political threat made by Senate Republicans to vote against any measure brought up before the debate on taxes and the federal budget were concluded.
With those matters laid to rest — and in ways that seemed to give Republicans a political victory — the road is open but not necessarily clear.
Immigration battles are always difficult, but taking up the DREAM Act alone has proven, in some ways, even more difficult than passing a comprehensive immigration bill. Republicans are loath to let it go forward without enforcement provisions attached — in fact only one, Richard Lugar of Indiana, has publicly said he’ll support it. That won’t be enough even if Democrats hold rank, which they may not.
The House passed the bill last week in a close vote of 212-206.
Then comes the bid to repeal the military’s Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy on gays serving openly in the military. That one passed the House by a much more convincing margin earlier this week: 250-175.
There was a Republican attempt to scuttle the legislation in the Senate as a trade-off for taking up the START ratification, currently under way, but on the executive calendar, thus allowing Reid to move back and forth between that ongoing debate and bills due for a vote.
Senate sponsors of a standalone measure say they’re confident they have more than 60 votes for the bill, counting all 58 Democrats, plus Republicans Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe, Scott Brown and Lisa Murkowski in the “yea” column.
“And I think we’ll see a few surprises,” Sen. Joe Lieberman said earlier this week. Lieberman and Collins are presenting the standalone bill.
Reid has filed motions to pave the way for Saturday’s procedural votes, a schedule that’s likely being propelled both by the upcoming Christmas holiday and the personal obligations of his caucus.
With the votes on Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the DREAM Act expected to be close, it’s important to have every ‘yes’ vote on board, and come next week, Reid will be down one Democratic senator.
On Monday, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon is scheduled to undergo surgery for prostate cancer that will likely put him in recovery, and out of commission, for the rest of the 111th Congress.
Wyden is supportive of both the DREAM Act and repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and his vote is critical, at least for the former bill.
Few Republicans have been willing to openly support the DREAM Act, and it doesn’t command the full support of Senate Democrats, making the bill a tough battle in Congress.
So lawbreakers in this country are not allowed to rebuild their lives at all???
So white collar criminals like Martha Stewart are allowed to stay in the country and rebuild their lives after clearly committing serious crimes? These LINDSEY LOHAN'S of America are clearly more entitled to live in this country than the promising college educated youth (note my sarcasm)
I think it's safe to say that a majority of these kids grew up only knowing this country and they're as American as the rest of us. They just NEED the opportunity.
Let's go DREAM ACT!!!
If Nevada doesn't have an ILLEGAL immigration problem, who are all these people that want the Mexican Dream Act passed? I don't. My neighbors don't. The illegals need to start stepping south on their own dime and stop usurping all social services. Deport the anchor babies. Look at Dominican Republic and Europe--not legal just 'cause you're born there. GO HOME. Our ECONOMY REQUIRES we stop bankrupting local governments with K-12 expenses, law enforcement, legal aid, incarceration, INDIGENT HEALTH CARE VIA PROPERTY TAXES. DO YOU THINK YOU'RE NOT PAYING FOR EACH AND EVERY ILLEGAL THAT STAYS? Go after employers. Seriously go after them. They don't mix well with our cultures that allow some respect of women, seniors, laws, property rights, non-violence, non-rape....
RECALL REID. RETIRE REID. 80% of the American public wants Illegals deported.
Mexican Dream Act just FAILED IN SENATE VOTE. HOOOOOORRRAAAY. Recall Reid for supporting it.
Roseanya, I hope you are right. The Dream Act is the only reason why I voted for Angel.
As usual, the teabaggers have no clue what they're talking about. The election was last month. Harry Reid won. GET OVER IT!!!
It's sad that the DREAM Act failed to get cloture today. These kids did nothing wrong. They didn't choose to be "illegal". Why should people be punished for crimes they didn't commit?
At least we had some good news today with DADT repeal advancing. Our soldiers deserve to serve openly and honestly, without risk of being fired because of who they are and who they love. It's time for "Don't Ask Don't Tell" to be tossed into the dustbin of history.
I see Democrats like Harry Reid have completely given up on that "It's the economy stupid" thing Bill Clinton and his pals came up with. Now it's "amnesty for illegals stupid", "military service for gays, stupid" and "online gaming for casino moguls, stupid".
Defacto amnesty! That's the dream act. It's no dream; it's a nightmare that will only encourage more illegals to climb fences, wade rivers or burrow tunnels in order to be treated like some kind of political refugees. We have legal ways for folks to enter the U.S. Those who do the right thing and enter legally are truly welcome and are the type of folks we need. We have enough cheaters who were born here. We don't need more of them!
Let's have all the anchor babies and military gays stay at atdleft's house then he can say to the world " don't ask stupid "