WASHINGTON
Fox News
A broad immigration bill to legalize millions of people who are in the U.S. unlawfully suffered a stunning setback in the Senate, costing President Bush perhaps his best opportunity to win a top domestic priority.
The bipartisan compromise championed by the president failed a crucial test when it could not attract even a simple majority for an effort to speed its passage.
Supporters could muster only 45 votes Thursday to limit debate and speed the bill to final passage, 15 short of what was needed on the procedural maneuver. Fifty senators voted against cutting off debate.
Most Republicans voted to block Democrats’ efforts to advance the measure.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat who had made no secret of his distaste for parts of the bill, quickly pulled it from the floor and moved on to other business, leaving its future uncertain. He insisted that the bill was not dead, but a crowded Senate calendar complicates its prospects.
“I, even though disappointed, look forward to passing this bill,” Reid said.
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell, the minority leader, said Democrats tried to rush the bill.
“I think we’re giving up on this bill too soon,” McConnell said.
The legislation would tighten borders and institute a new system to prevent employers from hiring undocumented workers, in addition to giving up to 12 million illegal immigrants a pathway to legal status.
Conceived by an improbable coalition that nicknamed the deal a “grand bargain,” the measure exposed deep rifts within both parties and is loathed by most Republican conservatives.
All but seven Republicans voted against ending debate, with many arguing they needed more time to make the bill tougher with tighter border security measures and a more arduous legalization process for unlawful immigrants.
All but 11 Democrats supported the move, but they, too, were holding their noses at provisions of the bill. Many of them argued it makes second-class citizens of a new crop of temporary workers and rips apart families by prioritizing employability over blood ties in future immigration.
Still, they had argued that the measure, on balance, was worth advancing.
“We can all find different aspects of this legislation that we differ with,” said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the leading Democratic architect of the bill.
He held out hope after the vote that the measure would survive. “Doing nothing is not an alternative,” Kennedy said. “This issue isn’t going away.”
“I believe that we will yet succeed,” said Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, a framer of the bill who was one of few in his party who backed the procedural move.
The defeat for the compromise was the culmination of an extraordinary week of ups and downs for the contentious immigration measure, which mirrored the tumultuous process that went into crafting it.
Kennedy partnered with Republican Sen. Jon Kyl and several centrists to craft a bill that melded conservative themes of tougher border security and limiting immigration with the liberal goal of legalizing those who are in the U.S. unlawfully and welcoming future arrivals.
A broad immigration bill to legalize millions of people in the U.S. unlawfully failed a crucial test vote in the Senate Thursday, a stunning setback that could spell its defeat for the year.
The vote was 45-50 against limiting debate on the bill, 15 short of the 60 that the bill’s supporters needed to prevail. Most Republicans voted to block Democrats’ efforts to bring the bill to a final vote.
The legislation, which had been endorsed by President Bush, would tighten borders, institute a new system to prevent employers from hiring undocumented workers in addition to giving up to 12 million illegal immigrants a pathway to legal status.
Conceived by an improbable coalition that nicknamed the deal a “grand bargain,” the measure exposed deep rifts within both parties and is loathed by most GOP conservatives.
Senate Majority Harry Reid, D-Nev., who had made no secret of his distaste for parts of the bill, said earlier he would move on to other matters if the immigration measure’s supporters didn’t get 60 votes Thursday night.
The defeat set off a bitter round of partisan recriminations, with Democrats and Republicans each accusing the other of killing it.
Most Republicans voted against ending debate, saying they needed more time to make the bill tougher with tighter border security measures and a more arduous legalization process for unlawful immigrants.
All but a handful of Democrats supported the move, but they, too, were holding their noses at provisions of the bill. Many of them argued it makes second-class citizens of a new crop of temporary workers and rips apart families by prioritizing employability over blood ties in future immigration.
Still, they had argued that the measure, on balance, was worth advancing.
Wild Thing’s comment………
Bush-McCain-Kennedy’s sell-out-America agenda has been temporarily derailed.
Quick – someone get Trent Lott some smelling salts!
Thanks to millions of real Americans for voicing our disgust for this bill. Those 20 million could bring in 200 million to the U.S.
Not building a fence and passing that Amnesty bill would turn America into a 3rd world socialist hell hole.
The Bush- McCain-kennedy Amnesty bill will give Amnesty to 20 million illegals. Those 20 million will be allowed to bring to the U.S.A their extended family so that’s another 200 million illiterate, poor, Marxists who will turn the U.S.A into a socialist hell hole like Venezuela or Cuba.
Also many Islamic terrorists are and have been getting into the U.S.A through the southern border.
I know it’s just a breather, but can we celebrate this wonderful moment, just for a night? We all worked very hard, spent a lot of money on long distance phone calls and I’m sure, lost some sleep. Let’s take tonight and just pat one another on the back and say “Thank you my brother, Thank you my sister”.
The early vote had 33 members of the Senate voting for cloture.
The most recent vote had 45 members voting for it.The arm-twisting and favor-trading must have been huge!
If the pro-amnesty supporters know that they can change 12 votes in that short of time, they’ll keep pushing this bill – albeit in a more behind the scenes manner.
Time to take names and vote them all out of office.
Akaka (D-HI), Yea
Alexander (R-TN), Nay
Allard (R-CO), Nay
Baucus (D-MT), Nay
Bayh (D-IN), Yea
Bennett (R-UT), Nay
Biden (D-DE), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Nay
Bond (R-MO), Nay
Boxer (D-CA), Nay
Brown (D-OH), Yea
Brownback (R-KS), Not Voting
Bunning (R-KY), Nay
Burr (R-NC), Nay
Byrd (D-WV), Nay
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Chambliss (R-GA), Nay
Clinton (D-NY), Yea
Coburn (R-OK), Not Voting
Cochran (R-MS), Nay
Coleman (R-MN), Nay
Collins (R-ME), Nay
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Corker (R-TN), Nay
Cornyn (R-TX), Nay
Craig (R-ID), Nay
Crapo (R-ID), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Nay
Dodd (D-CT), Yea
Dole (R-NC), Nay
Domenici (R-NM), Nay
Dorgan (D-ND), Nay
Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Ensign (R-NV), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Not Voting
Feingold (D-WI), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Graham (R-SC), Yea
Grassley (R-IA), Nay
Gregg (R-NH), Nay
Hagel (R-NE), Yea
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Hatch (R-UT), Nay
Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Isakson (R-GA), Nay
Johnson (D-SD), Not Voting
Kennedy (D-MA), Yea
Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Kyl (R-AZ), Nay
Landrieu (D-LA), Nay
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Yea
Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea
Lincoln (D-AR), Yea
Lott (R-MS), Nay
Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Martinez (R-FL), Yea
McCain (R-AZ), Yea
McCaskill (D-MO), Nay
McConnell (R-KY), Nay
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Murkowski (R-AK), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Obama (D-IL), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Nay
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Sanders (I-VT), Nay
Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Sessions (R-AL), Nay
Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Smith (R-OR), Nay
Snowe (R-ME), Nay
Specter (R-PA), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Stevens (R-AK), Nay
Sununu (R-NH), Nay
Tester (D-MT), Nay
Thune (R-SD), Nay
Vitter (R-LA), Nay
Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Warner (R-VA), Nay
Webb (D-VA), Nay
Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Yea
And this LINK is where they voted for the various MOTIONS to be added or taken away from the Amnesty BIll.
Teddy Kennedy Republicans:
Graham, Hagel, Lugar, Martinez, McCain, Specter, Voinovich, Lott
God bless Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama! He fought this thing
from day one and never gave up.
There were over 700,000 petitions and faxes to the Senate. When we add in the estimated phone calls, contacts and calls to the Senate it far exceeded 1 million or more!!!
If you listened to the floor speeches after the vote on C-Span, then you know that the battle is not over. They will
bring amnesty back — sooner rather than later. But for now, let’s celebrate America and the hard work we all did to stop this Amnesty Bill. We The People spoke out loud and clear across America and our voices and non funding for any Political party that promotes this was heard and rang out across our land in bold Red, White and Blue.
Now it’s time to find the “right” solution for this BIG problem.
There has to be a better way.
Patriots – The Demlibloonies just lost an estimated 12 million votes… for now. Jeff Sessions is my Alabama Hero and should run for president. Forget the fence – just lay down land mines 1 – mile wide by 3,000 miles long, and give our A-10 and B-52 crews some live fire!
In the mean time, the border is still wide open. With the possibility of amnesty on the horizon, millions more will flow over our border knowing that nothing will happen to them.
Two years ago I took a trip to South Caralina to visit Parris Island, who says you can’t go home again. But on the way out we stopped for gas. and when I went to pay for it I noticed an array of Ammunition for sale, any state that sells Ammunition in a gas station has got character.
Unlike the Bugged-eyed short-pants sissy Lindsey Graham, who had a hissy fit on the floor of the Senate, It must’ve been extremely embarrassing to his Senior Senator, from South Caralina, Jim Demint, Who Graham and McCain met secretly with Toad Kennedy behind closed doors and plotted against Senator DeMints amendment to this piece of garbage Immigration bill. (It must take a special breed of Coward, Graham in this case, to go against your own Senator and state) This type of behavior doesn’t set will in the South, especially in South Caralina. I would say at this point Graham career as a Senator from South Caralina will come to a screeching halt next term.
According to a FORMER McCain supporter, “I feel McCain and Graham are out of touch with the people of South Carolina,” Mr. Nix said. “They are listening to the illegal aliens and not the citizens. We have lot of illegal aliens in this state.”
But isn’t amazing that it took men like Jeff Sessions, Jim Demint, John Cornyn all Southerners, to put up the most resistance to this Bush-Kennedy bill.
Poor harry reid. Lets hope he gives up, takes his ball and goes home, never to be heard from again.
Tancredo summed up rino mccain pretty well when he said this.
“John McCain has always prided himself as a man who marches to the beat of a different drummer,” Mr. Tancredo told The Times yesterday. “How depressing to learn that the drummer is Ted Kennedy.”
Now if we can get terd kennedy thrown in jail where he belongs cuz we all know that that piece of donk is gonna die sitting on his fat ass in our house of congress.
I am sure this is a temporary victory. In-fighting among proponents of the bill killed it as much as our anti-billers did. I have to hope that public groundswell played a big part.
Anyway, this is WASHINGTON DC and these are almost all career politicians. They will slink and sneak around and try again in a different mode of some sort. Maybe they will put off another attempt until after the ’08 elections.
I also hope this defeat chills Bush. Someone in his administration needs to get realistic and tell Bush that he basically has no more public support. Liberals hate him and he has discouraged his Conservative base. He has no legacy. He will go down as one of our worst Presidents in recent history. Perhaps he can wise up in his last year and actually try to be the conservative that he ran as and try to reunite the GOP so we can win back seats in Congress. Perhaps.
The bill is dead and the Dem’s and RINO’s are still trying to blow life back into it, I’ll believe this abortion of Ted Kennedy’s amnesty bill is truly dead once the Dems get their lips off the anal sphincter of it. It’s only a temporary setback, it will resurface in another form, George Bush owes too much to his cronies to let it die. We need to drive a stake through the heart of it once and for all, 2008 is a good way to do it, take that list and eliminate the rats on our ship, all 535 of them if need be. Our legal system is broken when the lawman can meter his own justice after a criminal has been sentenced by a judge, where the precedents are set in Congress, whether that criminal be William Jefferson, Sandy Berger or Paris Hilton. Enforce existing laws, and quit making exceptions.
John Cornyn, R-Texas is one of the cosponsors of S 3622 and introduded that bill, his cosponsor was Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn. These two RINO’s need to be strung up for undermining our nation and our Constitution.
Lynn, somehow they have to be convinced to obey the existing laws. It is like throwing good money after bad as a comparison how they keep re-writing bills and laws for this illegal problem.
amazing
Darth, I can see that, land mines just on this side of the border. I have had it with this thing and how once they get here we cater to them with spanish etc., getting paid under the table at a lot of places etc. too. ( haha lots of etc.s aren’t there)
Bob, your right, and we just can’t stop on keeping after our politians about this. They have to know with all that is in them that they will not be voted for again if they go for this kind of thing. If they know we mean it then maybe just maybe they will see they have to go back to the existing law that we already have and then build the fence and fine big time those that hire them and then transport the rest out asap.
Maybe that is a dream but I pray it happens.
Mark wow what a great quote.
“They are listening to the illegal aliens and not the citizens.”
Great comment Mark, thank you so much.
Dan, thank you so sharing this quote….
“John McCain has always prided himself as a man who marches to the beat of a different drummer,” Mr. Tancredo told The Times yesterday. “How depressing to learn that the drummer is Ted Kennedy.”
Good one by Tancredo.
Tom I would love it to chill Bush, my gut says Bush looks at all of us being upset about this as unimporant to him any longer and he could care less.
I swear if I ever again hear a NON Conservative say they are and it is in person right in my face in front of me……I will go ballistic on the spot. haha I mean it, I have had it.
Jack I wish every America loving citizen would make sure that when election tikme arrives for each person that will be up to be voted on again, they vote them out, kick their fanny right out of office. For Good!
Hope and fingers crossed anyway that this happens.