Senate to Test Success of Immigration Bill

Mary Benoit
JBS
Wednesday June 27, 2007

According to Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC), the only way for opponents to block the Bush/Kennedy amnesty bill is if "the American people raise the level of their voices in the next 24 hours."

Follow this link to the original source: "Vote Tests Immigration Momentum"

The opportunity for the Senate to pass an immigration reform package (S. 1639) prior to the July 4th recess is growing narrower by the day. However, the momentum on Capitol Hill is picking up by the hour and could be accelerated by a procedural vote which is set to take place later today (click on the link above). If the Senate passes a motion to limit debate on S. 1639 (previously under the bill number S. 1348), there could be enough support for final passage as early as Thursday.

Opponents of Senator Ted Kennedy's (D-MA) so-called "reform" package are optimistic that the Senate will not receive the 60 votes needed to limit debate on the bill's amendments and move to debating the bill itself. One major opponent of S. 1639 is Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) who argues that the only way to block supporters from gaining the votes they need to limit debate is if "the American people raise the level of their voices in the next 24 hours."

The Senate has been desperately trying to push an all-encompassing immigration reform bill since Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) introduced the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S. 1348) on May 9, 2007. The Reid bill began discussion on immigration reform and, after weeks of closed-door negotiations between the White House and key members of Congress, Senator Kennedy introduced a substitute amendment to the bill (S. Amdt. #1150) that became known as the "grand compromise" on immigration reform.

The Senate was unable to pass the Kennedy amendment earlier this month, forcing Senator Reid to pull the legislation from the Senate floor on June 7. After two weeks of renegotiations, the Senate is ready once again to push an amnesty bill through Congress.

Don't allow the Senate to pass an immigration bill that would, among other things, grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants currently residing within the United States. Click here to contact your Senators and ask them to oppose S. 1639.