Reid will be able to bring the House-passed DREAM Act to the floor at any time because it will come to the Senate as a message from the House with special privilege. Senate Dems put DREAM Act on hold after House passage
By Alexander Bolton - 12/09/10 12:10 PM ET

Senate Democrats voted Thursday to postpone consideration of the DREAM Act, giving themselves a chance to take up a House-passed version of the bill after this week.

The bill is popular among Hispanic voters who helped Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) win reelection.


Reid promised voters shortly before Election Day that the Senate would consider the DREAM Act in the lame-duck session whether he won or lost.

Reid scheduled a vote to proceed to it Thursday but then switched course after the House passed a version of the bill Wednesday night. The Senate voted 59 to 40 to table a motion to take up the Senate version of the bill.

The differences between the Senate and House bills are merely technical. But taking up the House bill will save the lower chamber from re-voting on the matter.

The House version passed Wednesday night by a vote of 216 to 198 — eight Republicans voted yes and 38 Democrats voted no.

Reid will be able to bring the House-passed DREAM Act to the floor at any time because it will come to the Senate as a message from the House with special privilege.
A Senate Democratic leadership aide said it would not come to the floor this week but will certainly receive a vote before senators adjourn for the year.

Sen. Dick Lugar (Ind.) is the bill’s lone Republican co-sponsor.

Proponents of the legislation say they need about five Republican votes to make up for Democratic opposition.
It’s uncertain whether Reid will be able to muster those votes considering the scant record of bipartisan cooperation this year. Conservatives have slammed the bill as “amnestyâ€