Senate To Vote On Dream Act, But 12 Dems Haven't Backed It
Senate To Vote On Dream Act, But 12 Dems Haven't Backed It; Reid eyes legalization for illegals in college; opposition is bipartisan
Investors Business Daily
December 6, 2010
BY SEAN HIGGINS
Fans of the pro-immigrant Dream Act have often touted it as bipartisan. But as the legislation approaches a likely vote this week, it appears that the most bipartisan thing about it is its strong opposition.
The Dream Act faces near-unified Republican opposition and the possibility of many significant Democratic defections as well. At least a dozen Democrats so far have refused to endorse it.
That's a potential embarrassment for Democratic leaders and immigration activists, both of whom have sought to portray the bill as having broad support, only to be held up by conservative filibuster threats.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., surprised many in Washington when he filed a fourth version of the bill on Tuesday that tweaked many parts of the earlier iteration.
It was an early indication that he was scrambling for votes.
Reid needs 60 votes to stop an expected filibuster, meaning he'll need moderate GOP support.
Instead, the revisions seem to be aimed at skittish moderate Democrats.
Without them, the Dream Act may struggle to get even a simple majority.
"I haven't heard any rumblings about Republican defections," said a top Senate GOP staffer, adding: "There are at least five Democrats that have very serious problems with this bill."
The legislation would offer citizenship to illegal immigrants' children who came to the U.S. before the age of 16 and are either in college or serving in the military.
Although portrayed as a bill to benefit immigrant students, critics noted that the cutoff age in the bill was 35. They also slammed it for letting applicants attend universities at in-state rates.
Reid's latest version lowered the cutoff age to 30 and removed the in-state tuition language.
The concessions weren't major, though. The cutoff age would be set at 30 at the time of the law's passage, meaning the limit would ratchet up each year afterward. For example, the cutoff age would be 35 on the act's 5 th anniversary.
"You could be 40 or 50 or even 60 by the time you got the amnesty if you chose to wait that long. You just have to have been 30 when it was enacted," the GOP staffer said.
Some of the senators who haven't taken a position are moderate Republicans like Alaska's Lisa Murkowski and Maine's Susan Collins.
Other Republicans once thought to be open to the idea, such as Arizona's John McCain, Massachusetts' Scott Brown and South Carolina's Lindsey Graham, seem to leaning against it.
Only two Republicans, Indiana's Richard Lugar and Utah's Robert Bennett, are backing it. The latter lost his re-election bid and is serving out the end of his term. Republicans expect no other defections.
Dems On The Fence
Most of those who could go either way with the legislation are Democrats. Activists point to 11 that have refused to take a public stand on it.
Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., is retiring after the lame-duck session, so he has little to lose on his vote. Still, spokesman Barry Piatt told IBD, "The senator is still undecided."
Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., who faces a potentially tough re-election bid in 2012, also shied away. "He has not indicated how he will vote," said spokesman Will Jenkins.
Newly installed Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., won't say either.
"The senator is reviewing the legislation, considering all viewpoints, and has yet to make a formal decision on the Dream Act," said Manchin spokeswoman Sara Scarbro in an e-mail.
Other Democrats in this camp include: North Carolina's Kay Hagan, Montana's Jon Tester and Max Baucus, Missouri's Claire McCaskill, Delaware's Chris Coons, North Dakota's Kent Conrad, Arkansas' Mark Pryor and Louisiana's Mary Landrieu. All declined to respond to inquires from IBD.
Meanwhile, Nebraska's Ben Nelson, is publicly opposing it.
While it is far from unheard-of for lawmakers to be tight-lipped before a controversial vote, the fact that the number of undecideds tilts heavily to the Democratic side indicates a lot of intraparty tension on it.
Americans are split on the Dream Act, with 49% supporting the idea vs. 47% opposed, according to an IBD/TIPP preliminary poll of 572 people.
But among those who feel strongly on the matter, opponents outnumber supporters 30%-23%.
Nevertheless, fans are eager to push forward with the legislation now while the Democrats still control the House. The bill must originate there, and no one expects it to pass when Republicans rule the chamber next year.
Also, Reid in the final days of his recent re-election campaign promised a Dream Act vote during the lame-duck session.
Democrats, even those inclined to back the bill, have been lobbied aggressively by immigrant rights groups.
Resistance Isn't Futile
Backers of the legislation argue it is a just reward for people who are already assimilated into the U.S.
"These young people think of themselves as Americans and they are culturally American," said Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., during an event Wednesday featuring potential Dream Act applicants.
The act is designed to counter many of the criticisms of immigration foes by focusing on military service and emphasizing the applicants' histories as children of immigrants rather than people who immigrated on their own.
Critics are unmoved, contending it is just another form of amnesty that will encourage further immigration.
"Amnesty and economic incentives only exacerbate the problem of illegal immigration, and while this bill continues to be disguised as an educational initiative, it is simply another measure that offers a path to citizenship for illegals in this country," said Sen. David Vitter, R-La., in a floor speech Thursday.
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