Congress to take up immigration overhaul


Wednesday, December 08, 2010
By Daniel Malloy, Post-Gazette Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate and House are scheduled to take up an immigration overhaul this week, in a pair of doubtful votes that are the last hope for a measure long sought by the left before Congress shifts rightward.

The DREAM Act would give a pathway to permanent status for illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children and are seeking a college education or to serve in the military.

Since its initial introduction in 2001, various forms of the bill have failed to clear the 60-vote hurdle to end debate in the Senate, and Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has scheduled a vote for today. House leaders plan a vote sometime this week.

Although seven current Senate Republicans supported a similar bill in 2007, some are backing off in part because of a pledge by the GOP to block everything until next year's tax rates and a temporary funding of the government are settled. Pennsylvania's senators, Democrats Arlen Specter and Bob Casey, plan to vote for the bill.

Despite the Democrats' large -- if fleeting -- lame-duck majority, the bill faces a tough climb in the House as well. Many centrist Democrats, such as Rep. Jason Altmire of McCandless, have expressed their displeasure with anything that could be considered "amnesty" for illegal immigrants -- no matter how sympathetic their situations. All but a few Republicans are expected to line up against it, as well.

Frank Sharry, of the immigration overhaul advocacy group America's Voice, sees the vote as a coin flip in the House but said the odds were against the bill passing the Senate. His eye will be on wavering senators such as Scott Brown, R-Mass.; George LeMieux, R-Fla.; Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.; and newcomer Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

The principal opposition to the bill has been led by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, who criticized the bill as flawed and premature.

"Americans are willing to consider some form of regular status for those who have peacefully lived and worked here for an extended period of time -- but only after the border is secure," he said in a floor speech Monday.

"This is because the passage of an amnesty bill such as the DREAM Act is an immediate reward for the illegal entry, and there is no serious plan to stop the illegal flow. Indeed, the legislation incentivizes it."

The legislation would grant six-year conditional status to an illegal immigrant who entered the United States before age 16, had been living here for at least five years before enactment of the law and obtains a high school degree or GED certificate. At the end of the conditional period, the immigrant can apply for permanent status if he or she has graduated from any "institution of higher learning," has spent two years working toward a bachelor's degree or has served honorably in the military for two years.

A study by the Migration Policy Institute estimated that about 2.1 million people would be eligible, now or in the future, under the age and residency guidelines. About 726,000 would be eligible immediately for conditional or permanent legal status, according to the study.

On top of a pile of other Democratic priorities in the lame-duck Congress, the White House has mounted an aggressive campaign to push the bill in recent weeks. On a conference call with reporters Tuesday, Clifford Stanley, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, said the bill would expand the pool of those eligible for military service, enabling the armed forces to sign up the most talented young people available.

An estimated 50,000 to 65,000 undocumented immigrants graduate from high school each year. Recruitment has exceeded goals in recent years because the poor economy has made the military a more attractive option for many young people, Dr. Stanley said.

The White House also dispatched its supporters under Organizing for America to lobby for the bill. A group of OFA volunteers is to gather in a home in Point Breeze this evening to call members of Congress and ask them to vote for the DREAM Act and a defense authorization bill that includes repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays serving in the military.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10342/1109023-84.stm