WASHINGTON (AP)—The Senate voted Thursday on an effort by opponents to stop a bill supported by President Bush to legalize millions of unlawful immigrants while also tightening the border against future immigrants.
The critical vote determining the bill's fate began shortly after 11 a.m. EDT.
Bush, seeking to salvage the biggest domestic initiative of his final two years in office, called senators earlier in the morning seeking help.
However, supporters needed 60 votes in the 100-member Senate to keep the bill alive. Aligned against it were conservatives who derided the legislation as a grant of amnesty for illegal behavior and some Democrats who said it would leave a new group of temporary workers vulnerable to exploitation.
Supporters pointed to the bill's tougher border security and workplace enforcement measures, along with an immediate infusion of $4.4 billion to pay for them, as reasons to keep the bill alive for a final vote Friday.
The carefully crafted compromise was left for dead after a similar vote three weeks ago but was revived by Bush and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, who gave opponents more chances to change it.
The one's against this Bill got their wish. NOTHING will now be done about the Illegal Immigration issue until the next Congress (2009). If the dems somehow win the Presidency (God Help Us!), wait until you see what happens then? You wished for it, now you GOT IT! The Illegals will continue to stream over the border. Nothing changes......status quo!!!
2 comments:
The premise of your article is that the same grassroots effort to stop this shamnesty will not or cannot force the Feds to secure the borders and strictly enforce the existing immigration laws.Remember they hung $4.4 billion for border security out there like a carrott on a stick to get us to accept this travesty. Lets make them cough it up even without their amnesty bill.
I think you are perhaps too pessimistic about the capabilities of an enraged and activated citizenry. Anyone wishing a political leadership role in this nation had well better take note of where to position themselves on this issue. I hope Sen. Kyl can mend the fences with his angry constituency as he has some time to do in Congress yet.
Sen. Kyl did what he thought was best.....to bring Immigration Reform to the table and get something done. What's your solution Mr/Mrs Anonymous?
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