Wed 27 Jun 2007
Update II: According to Hot Air the senate immigration bill (S.1639) is in big trouble. The final cloture vote is scheduled for Thursday (6-28-07) and the clay pigeon maneuver did not go well today. Sonoran Alliance recommends adopting Senator John Ensign of Nevada. If you have a friend or relative in Nevada urge them to contact his D.C. office early Thursday morning. Phone would be best due to time constraints. Better yet call yourself. If they ask you where you are from tell them that you have adopted Ensign due to the John McCain’s dismissive attitude toward the law-abiding, hard-working residents of his state.
John Ensign:
(202) 224-6244 D.C. phone
(202) 228-2193 D.C. fax
Online contact form
If works better for you to adopt NM Senator Domenici here is his contact page.
Senators who have said they will switch their vote to no: Bond (R-MO), Burr (R-NC), Domenici (R-NM), and Nelson (D-NE.) Close to voting no (in addition to our newly adopted Ensign): Bingaman (D-NM), Gregg (R-NH), Menendez (D-NJ), Murkowski (R-AK), Pryor (D-AR), Stevens (R-AK), and Webb (D-VA.)
National Review has confirmed our understanding that the senate immigration bill (now S.1639) will undergo one more cloture vote before it can pass. The vote will probably take place this Thursday.
Cloture is the senate term for ending debate and proceeding. The importance of cloture is that it requires a super-majority (3/5) in order to pass. That means that if less than 60 senators vote yes the bill does not proceed. Given Tuesday’s vote on the immigration bill we only need 5 senators to switch in order to stop the bill.
If you have any questions about how bad this bill is or you are distracted by the White House double talk please visit The Heritage Foundation for some very clear and reasoned information about the real effects that this bill would bring.
National Review has an article on 8 senators who might change their votes on cloture. They are Senators Kit Bond (R., Mo.), Sam Brownback (R., Kan.), Richard Burr (R., N.C.), Norm Coleman (R. Minn), John Ensign (R. Nev.), Ben Nelson (D., Neb.), Mark Pryor (D., Ark.) and Jim Webb (D., Va.)
Since this is an Arizona blog we encourage our readers to contact Senator Kyl one more time. There is not much point talking to McCain.
If you would like to contact one more senator there are two great choices. Senator John Ensign (R) is right next-door in Nevada. Senator Norm Coleman (R) is up for re-election in 2008. Just call and say that you have been abandoned by one of your senators and that you are counting on them to do the right thing.
Jon Kyl:
Washington (202) 224-4521
Phoenix (602) 840-1891
Tucson (520) 575-8633
John Ensign:
Washington (202) 224-6244
Las Vegas (877) 894-7711
Norm Coleman:
Washington (202) 224-5641
St. Paul (800) 642-6041
Update: Michelle Malkin is providing minute-by-minute coverage of the senate proceedings.
June 27th, 2007 at 10:52 am
I found this on another website from Jon Kyl, which I think is worth examining.
_________________________
GRAHAM-KYL-MARTINEZ-MCCAIN ENFORCEMENT AMENDMENT TO THE IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL, S. 1639
** HIGHLIGHTS **
Completion of Background Checks Guaranteed: Requires the completion of appropriate
background checks before probationary Z status is conferred on any alien. The underlying bill
would otherwise confer probationary status within 24 hours, regardless of whether a background check has been completed.
Hiring the Necessary Personnel to Enforce the Law at the Border and in the Interior:
Requires the hiring and deployment of no less than 10,000 additional auditors, specialists, agents, officers, investigators, and other personnel to investigate fraud, remove illegal aliens, and to enforce law at the workplace.
Barring Those Who Pose Health and Criminal Risks from Entry: Bars people who pose a health or safety risk to Americans, or who have a criminal history, from being admitted to the United States as temporary workers. The underlying bill proposed to except temporary workers from the health requirements of current law and to admit criminal aliens.
Barring Alien Gang Members: Bars violent alien gang members from entry into the United States, and requires the deportation of those who are already here. Current law only bars gang members who have committed a crime or have an immigration status violation on their records.
Barring Child Sexual Offenders: Clarifies that the bill’s change in the aggravated felony
definition of sexual abuse of a minor applies to convictions before, on, or after the date of
enactment. Makes it easier to prosecute such cases in deportation proceedings.
Posting Bond to Discourage Visa Overstayers: Raises the bond for each visiting family member from $1,000 to $2,500 to help ensure that they depart the United States when their visas expire.
Tracking Visa Overstayers: Requires an entry-exit system for all temporary workers and visiting family members. The names of aliens who fail to depart shall be placed in a database of
overstayers accessible by federal, state, and local law enforcement.
Enforcing the Law Against Visa Overstayers: Requires the Department of Homeland Security
to promptly identify, investigate, detain, and initiate removal proceedings against every alien
admitted under the temporary worker program, or every family member visiting a temporary
worker, who overstays his or her visa or period of authorized admission.
Mandatory Detention Until Removal: Visa overstayers must be detained until deported.
Visa Overstayers Permanently Barred from Future Admission: Provides a permanent bar to
future immigration benefits for aliens who overstay the authorized admission period of their
visas.
June 27th, 2007 at 11:00 am
I found this on anther website which I think is worth reading.
Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.) and others have made it clear that any provisions in the final bill with which they disagree will simply be stripped out during conference committee negotiations anyhow; in other words, just as this bill began in closed-door meetings, it will end in closed-door meetings.
June 27th, 2007 at 11:59 am
If anything is stripped in a conference committee it goes BACK to the entire floor for final passage. That will be where the conservative Republicans can vote against it if thier amendments are stripped.
Don’t you remember School House Rock???
Boy: Woof! You sure gotta climb a lot of steps to get to this Capitol Building here in Washington. But I wonder who that sad little scrap of paper is?
I’m just a bill.
Yes, I’m only a bill.
And I’m sitting here on Capitol Hill.
Well, it’s a long, long journey
To the capital city.
It’s a long, long wait
While I’m sitting in committee,
But I know I’ll be a law someday
At least I hope and pray that I will,
But today I am still just a bill.
Boy: Gee, Bill, you certainly have a lot of patience and courage.
Bill: Well I got this far. When I started, I wasn’t even a bill, I was just an idea. Some folks back home decided they wanted a law passed, so they called their local Congressman and he said, “You’re right, there oughta be a law.” Then he sat down and wrote me out and introduced me to Congress. And I became a bill, and I’ll remain a bill until they decide to make me a law.
I’m just a bill
Yes I’m only a bill,
And I got as far as Capitol Hill.
Well, now I’m stuck in committee
And I’ll sit here and wait
While a few key Congressmen discuss and debate
Whether they should let me be a law.
How I hope and pray that they will,
But today I am still just a bill.
Boy: Listen to those congressmen arguing! Is all that discussion and debate about you?
Bill: Yeah, I’m one of the lucky ones. Most bills never even get this far. I hope they decide to report on me favourably, otherwise I may die.
Boy: Die?
Bill: Yeah, die in committee. Oooh, but it looks like I’m gonna live! Now I go to the House of Representatives, and they vote on me.
Boy: If they vote yes, what happens?
Bill: Then I go to the Senate and the whole thing starts all over again.
Boy: Oh no!
Bill: Oh yes!
I’m just a bill
Yes, I’m only a bill
And if they vote for me on Capitol Hill
Well, then I’m off to the White House
Where I’ll wait in a line
With a lot of other bills
For the president to sign
And if he signs me, then I’ll be a law.
How I hope and pray that he will,
But today I am still just a bill.
Boy: You mean even if the whole Congress says you should be a law, the president can still say no?
Bill: Yes, that’s called a veto. If the President vetoes me, I have to go back to Congress and they vote on me again, and by that time you’re so old…
Boy: By that time it’s very unlikely that you’ll become a law. It’s not easy to become a law, is it?
Bill: No!
But how I hope and I pray that I will,
But today I am still just a bill.
Congressman: He signed you, Bill! Now you’re a law!
Bill: Oh yes!!!
June 27th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
I love that Schoolhouse Rock…thanks Jude.
Oh…off the topic I know, but worth one I think.
Thompson is a total flip-flopper phony on abortion rights…just like Romney. Both give liberals like me a little hope that, if elected, they will desert the right on this issue and stay the course.
Check out this youtube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO_HA_0cdM0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fblog%2Ewashingtonpost%2Ecom%2Fthefix%2F%3Fhpid%3Dtopnews
and the story accompanying it by Chris on the Daily Fix
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/
It does appear that John McCain is the only one in the race that is truly pro-life on the issue of abortion (despite his stem-cell support).
June 27th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Jude,
Whatever you say as long as the senate gets another shot at a cloture vote if the bills is changed in conference.