Thread: U.S. Senate blocks DREAM ACT AMNESTY for illegal aliens

Sep 21, 2010

Senate also blocks action on DREAM Act for illegal immigrants

05:01 PM

In failing to advance the Pentagon spending bill and the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," the Senate also blocked action on the DREAM Act, which offers a path to legal status for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children.

Both measures were attached to the $726 billion military spending bill. A vote to end a Republican-led filibuster failed, 56-43.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said President Obama would continue to press for passage of both measures, our colleagues at The Oval report.
----------------------------------
Post comments @

http://content.usatoday.com/communities ... migrants/1

It would be benifical to know how our representives voted. Is there a web site telling how each senator voted?

Originally Posted by Bobby12

It would be benifical to know how our representives voted. Is there a web site telling how each senator voted?

All republicans voted against it. All but 2 democrats voted for it.

Republicans and two Democrat in the U.S. Senate blocked a defense reauthorization package from moving forward for debate.

AOL News shows this as being about "Don't ask, don't tell". I don't see anything in the article about the DREAM Act!! They are saying this trying to smear the senators who voted against it!

I heard Harry Reid call the senators who voted against this cowards, saying it would come up for a vote eventually. He is the coward, attaching this to a huge bill in hopes that it would pass under the radar instead of giving it a straight up or down vote. I, for one, would love to see a straight vote on just this issue, nothing else added in the mix!!

Originally Posted by Bobby12

It would be benifical to know how our representives voted. Is there a web site telling how each senator voted?

CLICK here to see how they voted

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-213026.html

Originally Posted by JohnDoe2

Originally Posted by Bobby12

It would be benifical to know how our representives voted. Is there a web site telling how each senator voted?

All republicans voted against it. All but 2 democrats voted for it.

Republicans and two Democrat in the U.S. Senate blocked a defense reauthorization package from moving forward for debate.

actually it was three, both Senators from Arkansas voted against it.
Reid voted for it before voting against it.

He did that because he wants to bring it back up in the future (lame duck session maybe)

Senate Republicans block vote on DREAM Act proposed by Harry Reid

By ERIN KELLY • Gannett Washington Bureau •
September 21, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senate Republicans derailed a plan by Majority Leader Harry Reid to push through legislation Tuesday to allow children of illegal immigrants to become legal residents if they attend college or serve in the U.S. military.

Reid, D-Nev., had planned to offer the immigration legislation, known as the DREAM Act, as an amendment to a sweeping defense authorization bill. But he failed to get the 60 votes needed to end debate on the defense bill and bring it to a vote.
By refusing to end their filibuster, Republicans thwarted Reid's hopes of attaching the DREAM Act to the defense legislation. The motion to end debate failed 56-43.
Republican leaders agreed to end the filibuster if Democrats would agreed not to offer any immigration-related amendments to the defense bill.
Reid blasted Republicans after the vote, saying they "didn't even have the courage to let us bring this to the floor for a vote."
He vowed to continue to push for the bill, although it was not immediately clear whether he would try to attach it to another bill before Congress adjourns. He also could bring it up after the November election during a lame-duck session.
"We're going to vote on the DREAM Act; it's only a question of when," Reid said after the vote. "It's a question of fairness. This is not the end of this."
Critics say Reid's effort was little more than an election-year effort to appeal to Hispanic voters, who make up about a quarter of voters in Nevada. Polls show the U.S. Senate race in Nevada is a dead heat between Reid and Republican Sharron Angle.
"This is a blatant political ploy to try to galvanize his political base as far as the Hispanic community is concerned," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Tuesday on the Senate floor.
Opponents of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act say the legislation would giv e amnesty to illegal immigrants and encourage more people to break the law.
"Our message to U.S. senators up for re-election this year is do not underestimate the public backlash against DREAM Act amnesty, combined with Reid's underhanded tactic of attaching amnesty to defense spending," said William Gheen, president of the Americans for Legal Immigration Political Action Committee. "We just want U.S. senators to represent American citizens, instead of foreign nationals and illegal aliens."
Immigration advocates praised Reid for trying to get a vote on the bill. The defense bill is supported by Defense Secretary Robert Gates and other Pentagon officials as a way to help boost military recruitment.
"Senator Reid continues to be one of the Senate's greatest champions for immigrant youth in America, and he has shown great courage," said Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum.
The legislation, by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and D ick Lugar, R-Ind., would clear the way to citizenship for immigrants younger than 36 who were brought to the United States illegally as children, lived here for five years or more, and serve in the U.S. military or complete at least two years of college.
About 2 million of the nearly 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. could be eligible for legalization under the bill, although the Migration Policy Institute has estimated that only about 825,000 people would take advantage of the proposed law.
"What I tried to do with the DREAM Act is give these young people a chance to work hard and earn their way to become a part of the only country they have ever known," Durbin said.
Dulce Matuz, 25, of Phoenix, said she was disappointed and angry by Tuesday's vote.
Matuz was brought to the U.S. by her parents when she was 15 years old and earned an electrical engineering degree from Arizona State University. However, she said, no engineering firm will h ire her because of her status as an illegal immigrant.
"I feel that once again the Republicans abandoned us, abandoned the youth that want to serve our country," Matuz said. "It's just not fair. We've been in limbo for way too long. ... I'm an American. And I want to innovate and to serve America."
Education Secretary Arne Duncan on Tuesday called the DREAM Act a common-sense law and said its passage would help meet the Obama administration's goal of the U.S. having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.
"The DREAM Act means more young people will fulfill their potential and contribute to our country's prosperity," Duncan said during a Tuesday teleconference.

Senate Republicans block vote on DREAM Act proposed by Harry Reid
http://www.rgj.com/article/20100921/NEW ... /1321/NEWS

N.B.C.

Durbin's DREAM Act Blocked by Republicans

DREAM Act, DADT tacked onto military spending bill

By NATALIE MARTINEZ
Updated 7:00 PM CDT, Tue, Sep 21, 2010

Democrats on Tuesday failed to earn the support of a single Rebublican on a measure that would have created a path to citizenship for children who came into the country illegally with their families.

The DREAM Act was tacked onto a military spending bill and another that would have advanced a repeal of 1993's "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy. Republican's argued the two measures weren't related to defense and had no place in the bill. Democrats needed 60 votes to end debate on the spending bill and bring it to a vote.

Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin, who introduced the DREAM Act in March 2009, was clearly upset by the 53-43 vote but said he'll continue fighting and vowed to bring it back for another vote.

"Where is the justice in this decision? At least have the courage to let us bring this matter to the floor and stand up and vote 'No.' But to hide behind this procedural ruse -- this unanimous consent request -- is totally unfair," he said from the floor of the Senate.

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act would grant citizenship to children who came here illegally when they were younger than 15, and who have lived in the United States. for at least five years. They'd also have to be high school graduates.

But opponents contend the measure is a form of amnesty and would cost too much.

In Chicago, a group of about two dozen people gathered in front of Republican headquarters Tuesday morning to gain support. The group included undocumented young people, like 23-year-old Irera Unzueta, who has been in the U.S. since she was seven.

"We have so much talent and we have so much energy and we are so ready to continue helping and contributing, but we're just not allowed that chance," she said.

Several Chicago business owners also stood in support.

"How can we so 'No' to our future?" asked Edie Batres, a Rebublican business owner.

"We want to stop dreaming," said Netza Roldan of the Mexican American Business Development Council. "We want this dream to become a reality."

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid vowed to continue to push for the bill, although it was not immediately clear whether he would try to attach it to another bill before Congress adjourns.

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/politics ... z10DMPYJ00

Added an article from above to the Homepage:
http://www.alipac.us/article-5677--0-0.html

WHY DON'T THESE PEOPLE GO BACK HOME TO MEXICO AND MAKE SOME OF THEIR DREAMS COME TRUE AND STOP MAKING DEMANDS OF THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY THEY HAVE ALREADY DUMBED DOWN OUR GOVERNMENT BUT, THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO FAR TO DO JUST THAT. YOU SEE, WE HAVE GOT A LOT OF IDIOTS SERVING THE COUNTRY IN WASHINGTON,DC.