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Senate immigration bill suffers crushing defeat
POSTED: 12:08 p.m. EDT, June 28, 2007
Story Highlights• NEW: Opponent: Backers were trying "to compromise to pass something"
• Three Democratic freshmen who won close races in '06 voted "no"
• Vote was 46 to 53, 14 shy of 60 votes needed to end debate
• Bill was centerpiece of Bush's 2nd term; aimed at legalizing 12 million

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush's immigration bill suffered a crushing defeat Thursday in the Senate, when members voted against advancing the controversial legislation.

The tally was 46 to 53, 14 votes shy of the 60 needed to end debate.

The bill would have provided a path to citizenship for some of the 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. and toughens border security.

"Our analysis of it was it would not work," said GOP Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama. "Our analysis was that it would result in 8.7 million more people in the next 20 years here illegally.

Supporters and opponents of the controversial legislation said that it probably won't be resurrected until after the 2008 elections.

Sessions said backers of the bill were simply "trying to work a compromise to pass something" and called on members "next time" to pass legislation that "will work."

The controversial bill won support and derision from both sides of the political aisle. Those voting in favor included 12 Republicans. Sixteen Democrats voted against it and 18 senators switched their votes from an earlier vote on the bill on Tuesday.

Those who voted "no" included three Democratic freshman -- Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Sen. Jon Tester of Montana and Virginia Sen. Jim Webb -- who won close races last year against conservative Republicans.

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid said the defeat is "not a time for pointing fingers. It's not a time for casting blame. It's a time for recognition that immigration is a problem that needs to be fixed."

Bush had lobbied heavily for support for the compromise legislation, which was also crafted by Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Senators were voting against cutting off debate and referring the bill for a final vote.

On Wednesday, supporters beat back a number of potentially fatal amendments.

Proponents won a major victory with defeat of an amendment removing the bill's most controversial feature -- a path to legalization and eventual citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the country, which critics charge amounts to amnesty. (Watch challenges rise and fall )

"I think most people will recognize that citizenship is the most precious gift America can provide," said Sen. Kit Bond, R-Missouri, the sponsor of the amendment. "There are many of us who believe it should not serve as a reward to those who broke the law."

Senators voted 56-41 to table his amendment, effectively killing it. However, in a sharp illustration of the political heartburn the "amnesty" debate is causing Republicans, Bond's proposal was supported by 33 of the Senate's 49 GOP members, along with eight Democrats.

Also defeated Wednesday was an amendment by Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, that would have required adult illegal immigrants to return to their home country within two years in order to apply for a new type of visa that will allow them to stay in the United States indefinitely.

Hutchison said the change would "send the major message ... that you cannot come to our country and stay illegally and eventually get regularized without ever having to apply -- according to the law -- from your home country."

But opponents of the amendment said the so-called "touchback" requirement would render the program largely useless.

"What immigrant is going to show up and register for a program if he has to take his chances on leaving the country and coming back in before he gets some kind of immigration status?" said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California. "What immigrant is going to report to deport?"

In the end, the Hutchison amendment was tabled on a 53-45 vote.

Senators also turned back two Democratic amendments, from Sens. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Robert Menendez of New Jersey, that would have made it easier for immigrants to bring family members from their home countries to the United States.

Liberal critics of the immigration bill have complained about a new points-based system that would sharply reduce the role family ties now play in decisions about who can come into the country.

By a 79-18 vote, senators shot down an amendment by Webb that would have limited the legalization process to illegal immigrants who have been in the country at least four years, rather than covering all of them in the country at the end of 2006.

Wednesday's wrangling on the Senate floor was conducted under seldom-used rules designed to keep opponents of the immigration reform bill from using the legislative process to block it.

All of the changes were being handled as one overall amendment, with separate votes on each proposal, allowing leaders to keep critics of the bill from offering their own amendments from the floor.

Republican opponents have strongly objected to the procedure, even though it was agreed to by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky.

"[We're] frustrated about our ability to exercise our rights as duly elected officials," said Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana.

[TexasCowgirl]

[Saki]

To slightly paraphrase doofus Mayor Bloomberg: WHO'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF OUR GOLF COURSES NOW???????????????

I know that's on the mind of most Americans at this moment. Oh, the unfairness of it all..........

[HarmFamily]

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Thanks for the tip!!!!

[cracker]

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