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Debate on S. 1348, the shamnesty bill, has resumed on the Senate floor. Numbers USA sums up the upcoming action:

Members will consider an amendment sponsored by Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) that would ensure that green card applicants who entered the country illegally are not given preference under a merit-based processing system over those who have waited outside the country for their immigration status to be approved.

Members also will consider an amendment sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) that would eliminate provisions authorizing the Department of Labor to waive requirements that employers in “labor shortage areas” offer jobs to U.S. workers before seeking to import foreign workers.

The bill’s proponents hope to finish work on it by June 7 or 8, but for a vote on final passage to occur, however, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) must first call for a vote on a motion to proceed (cloture), which would cut off debate and prevent a filibuster. In order for cloture to be invoked, 60 senators must vote “yes” on it.

Several amendments will be considered this week that could pull apart the coalition supporting the so-called “Grand Bargain.” Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) will sponsor an amendment adding 833,000 green cards for family reunification. Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), the lead Republican negotiator on the “compromise” bill, was quoted in the June 4 edition of The Washington Post as saying that he will withdraw his support for the bill if that amendment passes or if another Menendez amendment is adopted that would more than double the number of green cards available under the bill for the parents of U.S. citizens. Democrats supporting the “compromise” are adamantly opposed to amendments that would expand the list of crimes making illegal aliens ineligible for legalization {Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.)} and that would prohibit illegal aliens who are legalized under the law from obtaining the earned-income tax credit {Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.)}.

Proponents of the “compromise” have yet to substitute its text for that of the underlying bill (last year’s amnesty-laden S. 2611 has been the placeholder text).

Sen. Sessions has posted his “List of 20 Loopholes in the Senate Immigration Bill” here.

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3:53pm Eastern. The Allard amendment was voted down.

Allard SA 1189: Eliminates the preference given to formerly-illegal Z visa holders applying for green cards over those seeking to enter the country legally through the bill’s merit-based system by striking the provision that awards Z visa holders extra points specifically because they broke the law.

Nay – 62
Yea – 31

4:00pm Eastern. Voting now on the Durbin amendment.

Durbin SA 1231 (for himself and Sen. Grassley): Eliminates provisions authorizing the Department of Labor to waive requirements that employers in “labor shortage areas” offer jobs to U.S. workers before seeking to import foreign workers.

4:12pm Eastern. The Durbin amendment passes.

4:16pm Eastern. As I understand it, Sen. Reid wants to limit amendments and push toward his cloture vote. He is laying out a schedule to vote on pending amendments.

4:18pm Eastern: Reid complains: “When is enough enough?”

McConnell: “The minority is simply not going to be shut out here.”

Reid wants a cloture motion filed today that would “ripen” by 6pm Eastern, June 7.

Reid: GOP requests for more amendments and time are “not fair. It’s wrong.”

McConnell notes that Reid doesn’t want his members exposed to voting on germane amendments. Proposes allowing post-cloture votes on germane amendments. Reid ignores him and heaps praise on Sen. Arlen Specter instead.

4:26pm Eastern. Reid: “We’re going to file cloture on this bill today.”

Reid’s on a long rant defending the pathetic record of the Dems, proudly citing polls showing Dems are not as detested as Republicans, and then asserting that he doesn’t follow the polls.

4:33pm Eastern. Sen. Hutchison. “I tried to offer an amendment on May 24. I was asked by Sen. Kennedy to withhold.” She wants her amendment vote time scheduled. She mentions Amendment 1301 and 1302, regarding Social Security for Z visa holders, plus two others. “I don’t want to be squeezed out by cloture or time deadlines….two weeks, four weeks’ debate is nothing.” Her third amendment deals with the bogus touchback provision.

4:43pm Eastern. Cornyn also objects and asks for vote time on his amendment, 1184, to ban felons from getting guest worker visas.

Sen. Kennedy blustering he’s ready to go.

4:55pm Eastern. Sen. Thune wants his Amendment 1174 scheduled as pending. Wants to make the triggers real and would prevent “probationary status” benefits for illegal aliens until the enforcement measures come to fruition.

Kennedy objects.

So much for being “ready to go.”

5:10pm Eastern. Sen. Jim DeMint is arguing for his amendment, 1197, requiring Z visa applicants to provide their own health coverage. It’s an extension of a requirement already made of legal student visa holders.

More: There was a brief interlude for Sen. Robert Byrd’s strikingly kind and poetic tribute to Sen. Craig Thomas. Kennedy and DeMint sparred about health care for immigrants.

6:40pm Eastern. Sen. Sessions is quoting from the CBO estimates about shamnesty’s impact on illegal immigration, visa overstays.

Politico: Headed for the shelf?

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