Senate Majority Leader Reid Says He'll Force A Vote On Dream Act

[bigtree]

The top Senate Democrat says he'll force a test vote this week on a measure to give tens of thousands of young illegal immigrants a path to legal status.

Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada says he'll move to schedule action on the so-called Dream Act. It would give more than 100,000 young immigrants brought to the United States before the age of 16 a chance to become legal residents if they attend college or join the military.

It's unclear whether Reid could muster the 60 votes necessary to move to an up-or-down vote on the measure . . .

read: http://www.whsv.com/nationalap/headlines/Democratic_Senate_Leader_Says_Will_Force_Vote_on_Dream_Act_111130839.html


from ARDem at Blue Arkansas: http://bluearkansasblog.com/?p=4784

It looks like the DREAM Act is coming up for a vote: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/30/dream-act-closer-reality-cloture-reid-cantwell_n_789997.html

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced on Tuesday that he is moving on a major piece of immigration legislation in the coming days, bringing the DREAM Act one step closer to becoming a reality. His comments followed a meeting with the Democratic caucus, in which several senators vocally urged their colleagues to make the legislation a priority.

Apparently, there are several Republicans who look like they’ll vote with us, which will help with the defection of Pryor the Lesser. This could still be up in the air though. Pryor still deserves pressure, and maybe some chewing while he’s at it. Between this and DADT, he’s certainly playing the role of the old Dixiecrat opposed to civil rights legislation. So go ahead and give him a call:

[phone]

That said, I would also encourage a phone call to Blanche Lincoln. It looks like she’s going to support this legislation, which while not making up for everything she did to destroy herself in this last election and drag Democrats across the state down with her is at least signaling that she aims to go out on a high note. So yeah, give her a call and encourage her to continue the good work she’s doing in the lame duck session. It’s a shame she couldn’t have done it before now. Maybe one day we’ll have a senator who realizes you might as well just do the right thing and stick to your guns, win or lose, and that that’s a better formula for victory than any amount of political calculation. But hey, better late than never:

[phone]

read more: http://bluearkansasblog.com/?p=4784


from the Indypendent: http://www.indypendent.org/2010/12/01/all-hands-on-deck-moment-for-dream-act/

White House Has ‘All Hands On Deck’ Moment for DREAM Act

Yesterday, the White House hosted a Web chat on the DREAM Act with Cecilia Munoz, the director of Intergovernmental Affairs, in which Munoz took public questions for half an hour on the bill. The DREAM Act would allow undocumented youth who’ve lived in the country for more than five years with a clean criminal record to qualify for permanent residency if they commit two years to the military or higher education, thereby creating a path to citizenship.

“We have engaged members of the president’s cabinet,” Munoz said, rattling off people and agencies like Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, each of which has said the DREAM Act is crucial to their missions.

“It’s kind of an all hands on deck moment here in the administration, involving multiple agencies,” Munoz said. “The president himself is engaged . . . We’re going to do everything we can to lay the groundwork and create the space for people who know this population of students to do what they know is the right thing to do.”

The flurry of White House activity continues this week with more public events in which Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Munoz will discuss the bill. Many congressional watchers see the next four weeks as a crucial time for the DREAM Act, before a Republican majority moves into the House and Republicans take up a half dozen seats in the Senate. In the decade that advocates have spent trying to pass the DREAM Act, it’s enjoyed a long list of supporters from both parties. But many balk today at signing onto the bill in the current anti-immigrant climate.

“It’s not just DREAM Act students who are victimized by inaction,” Munoz said during yesterday’s Web chat. “As a country when we don’t act, we end up falling further behind because we deprive ourselves of the talents of these extraordinary people.”

read: http://www.indypendent.org/2010/12/01/all-hands-on-deck-moment-for-dream-act/

[saracat]

1. Now this would be something to be proud of! No Dem should vote against this.

It is unacceptable to vote against this!

[Andy823]

2. If republicans want to play games

Then Harry should keep them in session right through the holidays, and make them vote on everything he can think of to get them on record as the party of NO for those in need, but YES for the rich and the corporations! Force their hand Harry, you are still in charge and you will still be in charge when the new congress comes in, show them you can play their game!

[Radical Activist]

3. Where's a vote on clean energy?

I guess more refugees will be able to immigrate to the United State after climate disasters in their own country.

[AlinPA]

4. That is a waste of time. The republicans' letter says they will stop all bills. It's dead. nt

[bigtree]

7. it's a moving target here at DU

One faction (or the same one) says bring these issues up and force republicans to vote against them. Mention the futility of the vote due to the balance of power and you're accused of 'playing chess' or being timid. :shrug:

[AlinPA]

10. It's frustrating. Our congress doesn't work for us anymore.

[gratuitous]

5. Reid can force a vote, and this is what he's going to force a vote on?

Wow, I really have to work on my 12-level Vulcan chess skills, because it seems like a rather non-vital issue, when Congress hasn't passed any of the 12 appropriations bills for the fiscal year that began two months ago.

Oh well, it's just a "test" vote. I hope everyone studied!

[bigtree]

6. this is just one article about one vote

Are you seriously suggesting this is the only vote he'll bring to the floor? How about addressing the subject of this post (the Dream Act) without the nonsense?

[gratuitous]

8. It's the only vote the article mentions getting to the floor

And I'm not sanguine about the staying power of the Senate Democratic leadership. I would not be surprised at all for them to say, "Whoof! Well, that's that, job well done, boys," slap a few backs and adjourn until the next Congress. And if that's the case (that they'll bring one bill to the floor for a vote before adjourning), I can, as I said, think of any number of bills I'd rather see them bring to the floor ahead of this one.

As to the DREAM Act itself, I don't have any strong feelings for it one way or the other. It's my understanding that practically every other civilized country grants automatic citizenship to foreign nationals who join their military. On the other hand, I'm prejudiced against the military, and feel that bribing foreign nationals with the prospect of citizenship as the price for fighting our illegal wars is wrong on several levels.

[blondeatlast]

9. time to make it happen. nt

[asdjrocky]

11. Sure he will.

I believe every word he says, just like Obama.

[global1]

12. What About START? What About DADT? What About Extending Unemployment Benefits?......

What about the tax cuts for those earning $250,000 and below.

The Dream Act is important. Don't get me wrong. But if that's all they are going to try to get done in this Lame Duck Session. We might as well pack it up and vote for the Repugs. At least they stand for something. They stick together. They get things done. Or they control the play.

The Dems need to play hardball. If they don't - I don't know if I'll be able to support them going ahead.

[bigtree]

13. I didn't read where he says this is all they're pressing for before adjourning

. . . that's not my understanding at all.

here's what I understand they're going to have votes on:

Pentagon's ban on openly gay members of the military, a separate item to give legal status to young illegal immigrants who attend college or serve in the military, and a measure to expand first responders' collective bargaining rights. The tax and spending bills are likely to be the last to pass before Congress adjourns for the year.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/2010/12/lame-duck-agenda-features-political-votes