Thursday, October 25, 2007
The Senate bill would have benefited those who were brought here illegally as children.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON — Demonstrating yet again the potency of the immigration issue, the Senate fell short Wednesday of the 60 votes necessary to debate the Dream Act, a bill that would give young, undocumented immigrants the possibility of citizenship if they were brought illegally to the U.S. as children.
The brainchild of Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the measure would have required these young people to have graduated from a U.S. high school and either enroll in college or enlist in the military to qualify eventually for citizenship.
But the political repercussions sparked by the immigration debate have clearly not abated, resulting in a politically scrambled 52-44 vote in favor — eight short of the 60 necessary to proceed. Eight Democrats joined 36 Republicans to block the measure from moving forward, while 12 Republicans joined 38 Democrats and two Independents to vote in favor.
The vote reflected deep anxiety on both sides of the political aisle, as many Democrats feared the wrath of anti-immigration forces, while a dozen Republicans worried about immigrant children in their home states, as well as the loss of potential workers there.
“I’m not going to quit on this,” Durbin vowed. “This is an idea whose time will come, because it’s an idea based on justice and fairness.”
Opponents, however, said Durbin’s plan would simply provide more incentives for illegal immigrants to flood the country.
“I can assure you, all of America is awake on this one and they know exactly what we’re doing,” warned Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla. “This is another amnesty bill.”
The Senate tried and failed over the summer to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill that was backed by President Bush. Opponents complained that the federal government needed to focus on securing the borders and enforcing current law before figuring out how to address the millions of immigrants who are currently in the country illegally.
“And yet even after that clear, compelling message from the American people, a message so overwhelming it shut down the Senate phone system the morning of the last vote which killed that bill, apparently a whole bunch of folks here still don’t get it,” complained Sen. David Vitter, R-La.
This is the second time in recent weeks that Durbin has been unable to get his legislation to a final vote. He withdrew it last month as an amendment to a defense bill, after intense criticism from all sides. Even traditionally pro-immigration groups opposed Durbin’s measure, saying the military service option in the bill could entice desperate young men and women into uniform and possibly death during a time of war.
With Congress focused on finishing its annual spending bills before leaving for the year, Durbin acknowledged he is unlikely to be able to bring the measure up for consideration again this year or even next.
“I pleaded with [Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid] for a chance to bring up this bill now because I think it will be very difficult if not impossible to bring up any immigration bills between now and the next election,” he said. “They are too volatile and divisive.”
Given that volatility, some analysts saw the Dream Act as the last chance for any immigration reform to pass before the next election.
The Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan immigration think tank, has estimated the Dream Act would allow about 279,000 currently illegal residents to attend college or join the military. About 715,000 illegal immigrants between the ages of 5 and 17 who are now in the country would become eligible in the future, according to the research group.
Although Bush supported the comprehensive immigration measure that included the Dream Act, he now opposes Durbin’s plan, according to Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. Sessions said the White House believes the bill would provide an incentive for continuing illegal immigration and provide a special path to citizenship unavailable to other prospective immigrants who are following the law by waiting in line.
In addition, Bush administration officials fear that by granting citizenship to this group, it would create 1.3 million more people eligible for welfare benefits within five years and able to bring family members to this country.
Still, the reasoning behind the senators’ votes seemed to vary greatly.
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said he likes the Dream Act and believes it should be enacted, yet he voted against allowing the Senate to proceed.