[scroll down for updates...]
The Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act (S.2611) is scheduled to go for a final vote before the Senate today (Thursday). It will almost certainly pass, putting the Senate on a collision course with House law makers, who have already voted for their own, enforcement-only approach.
If the bill is to become law, the Senate will need to reach a compromise with the House. In preparation for this, President Bush has already twice dispatched Karl Rove to meet with Republican Representatives, prompting one skeptical Congressman (Florida Republican Ric Keller) to observe:
Karl, yesterday Ted Kennedy gave a passionate speech on the Senate floor supporting President Bush’s proposal. If you get in bed with Ted Kennedy, you’re going to get more than sleep.
Expect the White House to use whatever political capital it has left to get this legislation passed.
I will be updating on the Senate vote and related issues over the course of the day. In the meantime, it's not too late to call your Senators and tell them what you think...
UPDATE (8am):
Clinton better than Bush on border security, Congressional study finds. The Washington Times reports:
Mr. Bush trails his predecessor on a series of measures of border security, says the briefing from the Congressional Research Service to the House Judiciary Committee, which was based on Department of Homeland Security data.
[...]
Although Mr. Bush last week said his administration has caught and returned 6 million illegal aliens, that's actually a drop from any five-year period during Mr. Clinton's administration, the briefing says.
Yeah, Mr. Bush said a lot of things last week. Lest we forget, this is not the first time he has promised to get serious about border enforcement.
Vicente Fox's American Fairness Tour is in full swing. Tickets for the Mexican Fairness Tour have yet to go on sale...
Bush's New World Order. Jerome R. Corsi writes:
Without announcing his intentions to do so, President Bush has decided to support the creation of a North American Union through a process of governmental regulations, never having to bring the issue before the American people for a clear referendum or vote.
Beware the "middle ground" proposals that are already sprouting like mushrooms in the House. On American sovereignty, there is no middle ground.
So tell us how you really feel: Face Right reports on John McCain's May 19th fundraiser at New York's Regency Hotel and all the, er, indiscreet things he said there.
UPDATE (noon): If you've not already done so, read Michelle's post on the ongoing Senate floor debate and then read Jim DeMint's top ten reasons to oppose the bill.
Via HotAir: Video from this morning's debate.
Some, uh, highlights:
Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) on his incredibly modest proposal to put a cap on the number of legal work visas offered under S.2611: "We need to be somewhat prudent in what we're doing."
John McCain (R-AZ) angrily denounces Bingaman ammendment: "He wants us to be like other countries, maybe France, maybe Germany [...] This is against family, this is against everything that America stands for. [...] Ths is just one of a series of ammendments to restrict people's abilitity to come to this country. [...] I don't want America to be like every other country in the world. [...] Lately, these ammendments have had a tenor and effect, and I don't think it's good for this country and I don't think it's healthy for America."
Bingaman responds: "His [McCain's] proposal had a cap of 290,000. Now, I'm proposing a proposal that's more than twice the proposal that his bill had [...] I'm saying legal permanent residents should not exceed 600,000 per year. [...] So I don't think this is unfair. It's more than twice what he and Senator Kennedy proposed."
Yes, it's come to this. The Senate is literally haggling over our future.
UPDATE (1pm): Polipundit links to John O'Sullivan at NRO:
A political party is not a suicide pact. Neither House nor Senate Republicans need follow George W. Bush—a lame lemming if ever there was one—over a cliff. Senate Republicans can mount a filibuster against the bill. And if that fails, House Republicans can refuse to go to conference on it and halt the bill that way.
They would be entirely justified.
And here's yet another ten reasons to oppose S.2611 (HT: CSL).
Update (2.30pm): Bingaman ammendment passes. Allahpundit has the details.
Update (4.40pm): California Conservative carries an open letter to Vicente Fox from Californian Assemblyman Chuck DaVore. "President Fox, we call upon you to deal with Mexico’s immigration issues before you deign to tell us how to reform our own laws."
Update (6.05pm): As expected, S.2611 is approved by the Senate. Allahpundit has the vote at 62-36 in favor. I'll update once the rollcall is up.
And here it is:
YEAs ---62
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Craig (R-ID)
Dayton (D-MN)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dodd (D-CT)
Domenici (R-NM)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Wyden (D-OR)
NAYs ---36
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Bond (R-MO)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Burr (R-NC)
Byrd (D-WV)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Crapo (R-ID)
DeMint (R-SC)
Dole (R-NC)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Isakson (R-GA)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Lott (R-MS)
Nelson (D-NE)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Sununu (R-NH)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Thune (R-SD)
Vitter (R-LA)
Not Voting - 2
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
By Party:
Yeas: 23 Republican; 39 Democrat.
Nays: 32 Republican; 4 Democrat.
For the Democrats, at least, it was by party line. I will have more to say about the vote over the weekend. For the moment, I think I need a breath of fresh air.
