Nap Time for DREAM Act

NAP TIME

There will be no amnesty today for 2.1 million young adults living in this country without proper documentation.  There will be no reward system for illegal aliens to bring their children across the border or overstay their visa.  There will be no nightmare Dream Act passed through the United States Senate today, but there is still time for amnesty advocates and open-border law breakers to pull off an 11th hour rally.  Watch for it next week.

Just 24 hours ago the DREAM Act narrowly passed through the U.S. House of Representatives 216-198.  Speaker Nancy Pelosi put her stamp of approval on H.R. 5281 and shipped it to the Senate this morning, but Majority Leader Harry Reid was unable to secure the 60 votes needed to move forward in the Senate.  He was forced to move the DREAM Act aside by a vote of 59-40.  One thing got in his way, 42 Republican Senators who are standing in solidarity against any lame duck legislation that does not deal directly with either (1) the Bush tax cuts or (2) budget and funding the federal government.  That's a big problem for the DREAM Act.

True to their word, the 42 GOP roadblock today also stopped debate on the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act and the National Defense Authorization Act that contained the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell".  And true to his campaign promises and headstrong liberal agenda, Senator Reid wasted last 48 hours pushing for passage of both the DREAM Act and DADT.  Both failed today.

TIME OUT

The Senate version of the DREAM Act (S.3992) is done.  It's over, and has no chance of passing this year.  Strike one.  The House-passed version of the DREAM Act (H.R.5281) is alive and well, but did not have enough Senate support today to begin debate.  Strike two.  And to top things off, the Democratic Caucus turned on the President today and refused to compromise on the Bush Tax cuts.  There is trouble brewing and mass tension on Capitol Hill today.  But through all this political theater, the DREAM Act is still very much in play and could come up for a vote and begin debate as soon as Tuesday of next week.  

Advocates of the DREAM Act, including Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), praised the Senate's decision.  "We now have the weekend and into next week to launch a national mobilization to get the votes to enact this important bill that could literally change the course of hundreds of thousands of young lives and make our country and our military stronger," Gutierrez said in a statement.

Reid's camp was less enthusiastic, "We still hope to consider it before we leave," a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid told Fox News.  And the White House expressed support for Reid's move.  "Last night's approval of the DREAM Act in the House of Representatives was a historic and important step," a White House spokesman said.  "We agree with the Senate leadership's decision to table the version under consideration in that chamber in favor of taking up the version approved in the House."

WAKE UP

Now open borders advocates are scrambling for the possibility of the Senate bringing up the House-passed version and are trying desperately to gain more support.  Under Senate rules, Reid will be able to bring up the House bill at any time, but Senate sources tell us that a vote will probably not take place until next week. The Senate is tentatively scheduled to adjourn December 17th.  

For a decade, various versions of the DREAM Act have been proposed -- they all failed.  In the latest bill, people would be eligible for conditional non-immigrant status (a temporary way to be in the US legally) if they are under the age of 30, living in the US continuously for at least five years, and were brought to the United States before they were 16. They also must earn a high school diploma, GED, or college acceptance, and undergo various background checks. People would then be able to gain permanent resident status, and apply for citizenship, after 10 years and after completing two years of college or military service.

The delay until next week could give Democratic leaders time to persuade toss-up Republicans. In the past, a few Senate Republicans have signaled support for the DREAM Act but now most have taken a stronger line against the bill.  Many of them agree that the DREAM Act and its loopholes represent a form of amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Sen. Reid will need at least a handful of Republican support to reach 60 votes and break a filibuster.  Democrats remain hopeful that, if Congress can get over the tax-deal hurdle, the DREAM Act has a shot at passing the Senate.