Thread: Motion to invoke CLOTURE PASSED 73-25

From: Roy Beck, President, NumbersUSA
Date: Wednesday 24MAY06 10:30 a.m. EDT


We lost on 'cloture' vote ... Final amnesty vote coming up ... Keep phoning

THE PROCEDURAL BACKROOM DEALS PREVAILED -- MANY OF OUR ALLIES SOLD OUT OUR BEST OPPORTUNITY TO STOP THE SENATE AMNESTY

Motion to invoke cloture
passed 73-25
a few minutes ago.

As I warned you might happen earlier this morning, many Senators who say they oppose the giant S. 2611 amnesty voted FOR cloture which shuts off debate and allows a final vote.

Only 41 votes against cloture would have stopped the bill.

But many Senators traded away their vote against cloture in order to get their amendments considered, or to get their future judicial nominations considered ... that type of thing.

I'll send you the roll call tally as soon as it is available so you can see how your Senators voted.

THE NEED FOR PHONING HAS NOT ENDED

Although everybody assumes that the amnesty will pass the Senate, we still have major goals to help us win while losing:

* If the majority of the majority Party (Republicans) vote NO on the final S. 2611, that will help our Republican allies in the House toe the line on compromise by saying they are in step with most Republicans in the Senate. This victory while losing would require a minimum of 29 Republican NO votes.

* If we can get 41 or more NO votes. That will show that it is possible to win a cloture vote in the future against bad legislation if there aren't a lot of procedural complications in back-room dealing.

* If the McCain wing of the Senate Republicans can be shown to be the definite minority wing of the Party. This would require a final Repubican vote of something like at least 21-35 for S. 2611. It is very important that many of the Republican fencesitters not see McCain as their shooting star but as a pair of concrete shoes sinking them in the public opinion pools of their states.

* Six Democrats voting against S. 2611. That isn't much, but it is really a significant number to try to keep Democratic national spokesmen from labeling the NO votes as racist, xenophobic.

Please use the phone links and phone numbers in the right hand column under ACTIONS IN BRIEF and keep phoning.

THANKS -- AND DON'T GIVE UP,

-- ROY

BTTT

New Jersey
(D) Frank Lautenberg (202) 224-3224
(D) Robert Menendez (202) 224-4744
Please call those senators if you can. Here are a few state zip codes (pick a random one from the list). These are senators who NEED to hear from lots of people. It's also good to say if you're a Democrat or Independent.

07822- Augusta
08731- Forked River
07950- Greystone Park
07066- Rahway (Clark)
07662- Rochelle Park
08243- Sea Isle City
07079- South Orange
08754-Toms River
08097- Woodbury Heights
08098- Woodstown

ADD YOUR CONTACT LISTS HERE PLEASE