Thread: Obama Promises Immigration Reform, Senate Numbers Don't Look

Obama Promises Immigration Reform, But the Senate Numbers Don't Look Good

June 19, 2009 - by Donny Shaw
Last time Congress tried for comprehensive immigration reform, they spent more than two months in the summer of 2007 on a bitter, racially-tinged debate that ended in overwhelming defeat (see the OpenCongress wiki article). The final vote in the Senate that secured the bill’s death went down 46-53 – fourteen votes shorty of the sixty that were needed to keep the debate alive.

Democrats gained some seats in the Senate this session, but not enough to make up that difference. All of the 15 Democrats that voted against the bill last time around are still there. Furthermore, three of the Republicans that voted for the bill last time have been replaced in this session of Congress with Republicans who strongly oppose comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship program for illegal immigrants. Below are quotes on immigration from the three new Republican Senators (what immigration-reform advocates call a “path to citizenshipâ€

The votes aren't there for the Obama administration to achieve its desired immigration reform, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday.

"We know the votes aren't there right now," Gibbs said during his daily press briefing about the congressional appetite for a comprehensive immigration reform package that would give illegal residents in the U.S. a path to citizenship.

"I think there's a seriousness in an effort, but in understanding that in 2005 and 2006 and even in 2007 there was not a majority yet to do this," Gibbs said, referencing the Bush administrations failed effort to rope in enough Republicans and centrist Democrats to pass immigration reform and a guest worker program.

The plan was derailed when conservative activists, who claimed the program would have constituted "amnesty" for illegal immigrants, managed to pick off enough Republicans in the House and Senate to forestall a vote.

Gibbs said that the White House would make an effort, though, to win the votes for a reform plan, for which President Obama reiterated his support Friday morning.

"We want to work with those both in favor and support of those previous efforts to see where we can get comprehensive immigration reform to pass," Gibbs said.
http://briefingroom.thehill.com/2009/06 ... on-reform/

So what are the hispanic groups going to do when they dont get their amnesty???

Are they going to beat us up for not giving them what they want?

Serious....Will they advocate dissent or even violence when NO Amnesty is given? Or will the Illegals really start to leave (i hope)?

The votes aren't there for the Obama administration to achieve its desired immigration reform, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday.

"We know the votes aren't there right now," Gibbs said during his daily press briefing about the congressional appetite for a comprehensive immigration reform package that would give illegal residents in the U.S. a path to citizenship.

"I think there's a seriousness in an effort, but in understanding that in 2005 and 2006 and even in 2007 there was not a majority yet to do this," Gibbs said, referencing the Bush administrations failed effort to rope in enough Republicans and centrist Democrats to pass immigration reform and a guest worker program.

Okay illegal aliens and advocates, time to give it up now, seriously. Not gonna happen this year, or the next, or the one after that. You need a new plan. How about instead of wasting all your time, effort, and funds trying to illegally invade us, you use it to help rebuild the countries you left?