House passes DREAM Act, Senate to act Thursday

[ProSense]

Source: The Hill

House lawmakers on Wednesday passed legislation allowing illegal immigrant students to remain permanently and legally in the United States.

The DREAM Act — a top priority of Democrats in both Congress and the White House — was approved by a tally of 216 to 198. Eight Republicans crossed the aisle to vote in favor of the bill, while 38 Democrats voted against it.

The bill now moves to the Senate, which is expected to take up the measure Thursday morning. The proposal's success is much less likely in the upper chamber, where a GOP filibuster will require 60 votes for passage. The Senate shot down a similar measure in 2007, and most of the opponents at the time haven't changed their positions over the last three years.

First introduced in 2001, the House legislation extends conditional legal status for five years to those illegal aliens who:



Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/132829-house-passes-dream-act-senate-to-move-next

[Laelth]

1. Interesting. Thanks for posting. n/t

-Laelth

[pampango]

2. Repubs will probably be able to filibuster it in the Senate, but it is worth the effort. n/t

[Lasher]

3. Roll Call 625

Results of Roll Call Vote 625

[pampango]

4. Dems: 208-38 for; Repubs: 8-160 against. Entire Progressive Caucus voted for it! n/t

[alp227]

7. California College Democrats sent out an email to its mailing list

urging people to call Jim Costa, David Drier, Dennis Cardoza (all D's), and the Republican George Radanovich. I looked over this roll call; my rep Zoe Lofgren voted yes, as did Costa and Cardoza (both of whom are also Portuguese). The two other reps in the email didn't. But let's see what the Senate does.

[ProudDad]

5. Ok, let's go through this once again...

51 votes to change the rule...

That's all it would take...

Then 51 votes to pass anything...

Senator Jeff Merkley has already begun the process...
http://my.firedoglake.com/teddysanfran/2010/12/02/oregons-senator-jeff-merkley-threads-the-filibuster-reform-needle/

[melm00se]

12. beware of what you wish for, it might come true

there are some rules that do make sense and the super majority for filibuster, at least in my mind, is one of them.

in theory, the Senate acts as a legislative safety valve. the House has passed some pretty stupid/silly stuff that was passed to the Senate and those bills, fortunately, died on the Senate floor.

if the roles were reversed and the Repubs made such a move, I am sure that you would be apoplectic over the situation.

The make up of Congress is fluid and changes to the foundation of the system just begs for::

1) the law of unintended consequences to raise it's head
2) the change will be used down the line against the party who proposed a short sighted solution

Making and passing laws is something that should be difficult with speed bumps along the way and the filibuster is one of those speed bumps.

[ProudDad]

15. The Senate is now and always has been

an undemocratic body that defends the Status Quo of the uber-rich...

It's not by hyperbolic accident that it's called the "Millionaire's club"

I think it should be abolished; why should 250,000 yahoos from Wyoming have the same "representation" as over 17 MILLION Californians?!?!?!?

It's just as bullshit an "institution" as the Electoral College and was also created to serve as a buffer between the unwashed masses (that would be you and me) and the elites (that would NOT be you and me)...

Face it, USAmerica was not DESIGNED TO BE, nor will it ever be a "democracy"... It was designed to be a government of, by, for and owned by the upper classes and run for their interests...

As for the filibuster, it has RECENTLY evolved into a COMPLETE BLOCK for any legislation that is in the People's interest. If it had been used then as it is now we would NOT have ANY of the New Deal, Medicare, the Civil Rights Legislation of the 60s, etc. etc. etc.

[melm00se]

16. Naive

the House of Representatives was originally designed to represent the People, whereas the Senate was designed to be the representative body for the several States on the federal level.

you can see this in the way the 2 Houses were originally elected:

the House by popular vote within each district
the Senators were appointed by the States' Legislatures to act as their representatives on the federal level.

this only exists today when there is a midterm vacancy.


In addition to a check against the "lower" house (and the "lower" house on the "upper" house), the Senate also serves as a legislative check on the Executive and Judicial branches (something that the House of Representatives doesn't have) in that the Senate has advice and consent roles for Judicial, Executive and Foreign Relations.

this quote:

I think it should be abolished; why should 250,000 yahoos from Wyoming have the same "representation" as over 17 MILLION Californians?!?!?!?

really shows your true feelings. do tell, how many other states are populated by "yahoos" and how do YOU decide who is a yahoo and who isn't? I am willing to bet that you look at the coasts as being "true" Americans and the rest just being "flyover" states who have nothing to contribute to the nation.

These are your fellow citizens sir and those states are entitled to the same level of representation as any other state as defined by the Constitution.

But hey, why let the actual purpose of something get in the way of a good ol' ideological rant.

[Jefferson23]

6. Great, and I hope it makes it through the Senate. n/t

[getthefacts]

8. YEAHHHHH!

Have been working a lot on this with other students in Massachusetts. I know it is a long shot in the Senate, but tonight I'm certainly thrilled. If you support DREAM, please call your senators tomorrow at [phone]. We need every help we can get.

[defendandprotect]

9. Trust they're going to stay on the job right thru holidays ... ????

[lamp_shade]

10. Yesssssssss.

[No Elephants]

11. Proud to see my rep, Mike Capuano, took over the gavel for Nancy during debate.

He voted against the Patriot Act and the Iraq War Resolution. I respect him greatly.

[Delphinus]

13. Wow!

This is big! I know it's not over yet, as it still has to go to the Senate, but it is big.

[Le Taz Hot]

14. The President of the Associated Student Body at

California State University, Fresno, just "outted" himself as being brought here illegally as a young boy.