Thread: Immigration Bill Supporters Reconcile Themselves to Defeat

Immigration Bill Fails Crucial Test Vote

Thursday, June 28, 2007

By Major Garrett and Trish Turner

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WASHINGTON — A defiant group of senators refused to continue down the path of a widely unpopular immigration reform bill Thursday, putting up a roadblock on a procedural debate and squeezing out any time left to work on one of President Bush's top domestic priorities.

Even before the end of the vote, FOX News had tallied 15 vote changes from two days earlier, putting an end to the doomed legislation.

As day broke Thursday ahead of a vote to cut off debate, it appeared only the White House believed the bill could be saved. An increasing number of senior Senate aides and outside lobbyists who support the bill reconciled themselves to defeat.

"I'm not building my afternoon around the idea we save this bill," a senior Republican Senate aide told FOX News.

"We're doing everything we can, but things do not look good and, honestly, it will take a miracle to keep it alive," said Frank Sharry, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, a key advocacy group that helped draft the legislation.

"All we're hoping for is senator's waking up, looking in the mirror and changing their mind and keeping the bill alive," said another pro-bill lobbyist.

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Senate leaders began to see the writing on the wall as tallies for the necessary 60 votes on Thursday morning's crucial procedural vote had lost critical support.

Republican Sens. Pete Sessions of Alabama and Jim DeMint of South Carolina remarked on the Senate floor that the sergeant-at-arms' office told them that the volume of calls leading up to the immigration vote was so high it had crashed the phone system, and no one was able to get through during morning debate.

Before the vote on the Senate floor, bill supporters made one last, passionate pitch to keep the bill alive.

"This is a vote of enormous importance," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., a co-author of the bill along with Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl. "This is really the vital vote about the future of the country or the past. Every person that votes no has to know this situation is going to get worse and worse and worse."

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., called the bill "the very best that can be done."

"Let us finish this bill," implored Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. "To cut this bill off now is a huge mistake. We are so close."

Despite those pleas, a FOX News tally of senators ahead of the vote revealed that at least four of the 64 senators who voted Tuesday to bring the bill back to the Senate were going to vote to curtail debate.

Another eight other senators who also voted to bring the bill back before the Senate now described themselves as leaning against the vote or undecided.

Opponents appeared to sense that victory was within grasp. DeMint said the whole debate demonstrated why Americans are feeling a "crisis of confidence" in their government.

"This immigration bill has become a war between the American people and their government. ... This vote today is really not about immigration, it's about whether we're going to listen to the American people," he said.

"I don't pretend to know that I am on the right side or the wrong side of the American people," responded Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a supporter of the bill who added that once the provisions are explained to Americans, polls show they overwhelmingly support it.

Another Republican, New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici once supported the bill. Up for re-election in 2008, he told FOX News that Republicans are "getting hammered here at home and for what? Something that doesn't even have the chance of becoming law? No. This bill is going down. ... Why are we having all these big amendments? They (supporters) don't even know what's in this bill. We learned it's not even enforceable. I just don't think I can support this bill."

Many lawmakers who changed their mind and voted against the bill added that they didn't see the point of wasting their time when the bill was going to die in the House of Representatives. On Tuesday, only 23 of the 201 Republican congressman said they supported the bill.

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus also were unsuccessful in lobbying their colleagues in the upper chamber, canceling a morning meeting to make last-minute calls for passage.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,287143,00.html

Don't know Kennedy is going to on around 1200 to discuss immigration.

Thank you God !!!!

Can you imagine the mood over at National Council of La Raza today??????? LULAC, MALDEF and all the others?? Oh, I bet it is just as sour as can be over there.

Like the Bible says "there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth" !!!!!!

I agree -

"This immigration bill has become a war between the American people and their government. ... This vote today is really not about immigration, it's about whether we're going to listen to the American people,"

We need to continue the fight. ( after a short rest & celebration )

Happy dance now, watch them very closely. they will try to break the bill up and pass it in samll parts. Keep your eyes open.

Originally Posted by jp_48504

Happy dance now, watch them very closely. they will try to break the bill up and pass it in samll parts. Keep your eyes open.

Agree jp.

They may try to slip in parts within other bills.

Originally Posted by magyart

I agree -

"This immigration bill has become a war between the American people and their government. ... This vote today is really not about immigration, it's about whether we're going to listen to the American people,"

We need to continue the fight. ( after a short rest & celebration )

Exactly, and now the American people want YOU TO SECURE THE BORDERS, PUNISH BUSINESS THAT HIRE THEM..

so simple.