by Frank James
Here's the schedule for this morning's Senate immigration debate, courtesy of Joe Shoemaker, press secretary to Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) the Senate Majority Whip, the second in command for the Senate's majority.
Based on this schedule, we should know by 11 or so whether or not the immigration bill is dead or alive.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
· The Senate will convene at 9:30am.
· No morning business.
· The Senate will resume consideration of a bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes (S. 1639).
· There will be one hour for debate only, with 25 minutes under the control of Senator Kennedy, 25 minutes under the control of Senator Specter, and 10 minutes under the control of Senator Sessions.
· Upon the use or yielding back of this hour, the Republican Leader may be recognized to speak for up to 10 minutes, to be followed by the Majority Leader for up to 10 minutes.
· Upon the use or yielding back of this time, the Senate will proceed to a roll-call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on S. 1639.
· There is a 10am filing deadline for second-degree amendments to S. 1639.
· The following amendments are pending to this bill:
o Kennedy-Specter amendment to improve the bill (#1934, as modified)
· Division VII of amendment #1934 (Baucus-Tester division regarding identification card standards)
o Kennedy second-degree amendment to Division VII, to change the enactment date (#1978)
· Division VIII of amendment #1934 (Grassley-Baucus-Obama division regarding unlawful employment of aliens)
· Division IX of amendment #1934 (Domenici division regarding District Judges for the District Courts in border states)
· Division X of amendment #1934 (Chambliss division regarding transmittal and approval of totalization agreements)
· Division XI of amendment #1934 (Graham division regarding immigration enforcement improvements)
· Division XII of amendment #1934 (McCaskill-Durbin division regarding government contracts and H-1B and L nonimmigrants)
· Division XIII of amendment #1934 (Cantwell division regarding H-1B provisions)
· Division XIV of amendment #1934 (Coleman division regarding information sharing between federal and local law enforcement officers)
· Division XV of amendment #1934 (Byrd division regarding supplemental immigration fee)
· Division XVI of amendment #1934 (Thune division regarding inclusion of probationary benefits in trigger provision)
· Division XVII of amendment #1934 (Sanders-Grassley division regarding certification requirement)
· Division XVIII of amendment #1934 (Alexander division regarding strengthening American citizenship)
· Division XIX of amendment #1934 (Brown division regarding employer obligation to document comparable job opportunities)
· Division XX of amendment #1934 (Levin division regarding treatment of certain nationals of Iraq)
· Division XXI of amendment #1934 (Isakson division regarding preemption)
· Division XXII of amendment #1934 (Schumer division regarding clarifying amendments regarding the use of Social Security cards)
· Division XXIII of amendment #1934 (Ensign division regarding preclusion of Social Security credits prior to enumeration or for any period without work authorization)
· Division XXIV of amendment #1934 (Leahy division regarding protection for scholars)
· Division XXV of amendment #1934 (McCain division regarding report on y nonimmigrant visas)
· Division XXVI of amendment #1934 (Boxer division regarding report on y nonimmigrant visas
· Division XXVII of amendment #1934 (Kennedy-Specter division regarding miscellaneous matters)
During Tuesday’s Session
A bill to provide for comprehensive immigration reform and for other purposes (S. 1639)
· Kennedy-Specter amendment to improve the bill (#1934, as modified)
· Division I of amendment #1934 (Hutchison division regarding nonimmigrants in the United States previously in unlawful status), was tabled by a roll-call vote of 53-45.
o Feinstein second-degree amendment to Division I, to change the enactment date (#1957) fell when Division I was tabled.
· Division II of amendment #1934 (Webb division regarding establishment of Z nonimmigrant category), was tabled by a roll-call vote of 79-18.
o Specter second-degree amendment to Division II, to change the enactment date (#1958) fell when Division II was tabled.
· Division III of amendment #1934 (Bond division regarding prohibition on adjustment of status for Z nonimmigrants), was tabled by a roll-call vote of 56-41.
· Division IV of amendment #1934 (Dodd division regarding family-sponsored immigrants), was tabled by a roll-call vote of 56-41.
· Division V of amendment #1934 (division regarding reducing chain migration and permitting petitions by nationals), was withdrawn.
· Division VI of amendment #1934 (Menendez-Obama-Feingold division regarding effect of extended family on merit-based evaluation system), was tabled by a roll-call vote of 55-40.
· Division VII of amendment #1934 (Baucus-Tester division regarding identification card standards), was not tabled by a roll-call vote of 45-52.
Cloture petition
Senator Reid filed cloture on the motion to proceed to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (H.R. 1585).
The Senate passed/adopted the following by unanimous consent:
· A bill to temporarily extend the programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965 and for other purposes (S. 1704)
· A bill to provide for the extension of transitional medical assistance and abstinence education program through the end of fiscal year 2007 and for other purposes (S. 1701)
· A resolution commending the Oregon State University baseball team for winning the 2007 College World Series (S. Res. 259)
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Comments
Note the "debate" schedule--50 minutes for proponents of the bill versus 10 minutes for opponents. If this was happening in a Republican controlled senate Frank James would be screaming bloody murder at the obvious unfairness.
And where is the logic of devoting only 60 minutes to debating what both supporters and opponents agree is perhaps the most important bill this senate will consider?
Posted by: Bruce | June 28, 2007 9:35 AM
Bush's legislation is bad news for American workers.
Posted by: Doug Zook | June 28, 2007 9:38 AM
Yes. I say yes, because we now have a chance for the American People to review this bill. We entrust our Congress to do the right thing, but thinking that this Administration was going to allow the House and Senate make key changes is just Stupid. I know that is a derrogatory use of the English Language, but so is the Bill.
This Administration and its Above, Below, and Around Ways and Means of destroying the Constitution would have used a Presidential Signing Statement not allowing for such changes.
Senator Kennedy is being used by Satans Flute Player. The Senate is being played as though they are Ceasar's Senate before his last days.
Until there is Habeaus Corpus back in Americas Judicial system, no bills should be passed relating to Immigration or the path to Citizenship in United States. Our "Law of the Land" AKA Justice Department has been compromised. Our Justice Department is at great disparity and lack of judicial restraint and leadership. I say restraint because if that bill had of passed the way it is written today, the only thing we could ever pray for again is "Judicial Restraint" towards the laws of this country.
Mr. Gonzales is not allowed to be Attorney General for the United States, he is a puppet that was brought in to appeal to Mexican Americans, and so far he has sold the pages of this Master Plan very well. It's amazing how the new Cookie Jar is the Internet Email System. I think he got his hand caught in the Cookie Jar, but didn't Recall after 100 cookies or so.
Badnews for American Workers No, bad news for American Corporations and Small Businesses. Fines that would bring any company to brink of closure and bankruptcy.
This so called Immigration Bill was designed just for that reason, too Consolidate America into one entity.
"SECRETARY" DHS
Not a good thing, as this office should not be over the Nationality of any American. Protect and Serve maybe, but not "Show me Papers" H-1B / Z immigrant, y-1 immigrant....on and on with the new labels of ameican or so called Legalized Immigrant.
If they are declared legal, The let them be Legal. Unlike that of the many that got off of boats with shackles on their feet, (who did not speak english either) be enslaved under new Business and Contractors rules bound by this Immigration Bill or overhaul.
"Shall be deemed necessary by the "Secretary." Now he is my boss, I though I owned my company. I just hired the man/woman thats all Mr. Secretary I can't afford 75,000 fine.
Not my Problem said the
"SECRETARY" No business for you.
Posted by: Roger Morris | July 23, 2007 3:14 PM