Immigration Bill Update

We had expected the Senate to revive the flawed bill which promised border security but delivered amnesty for illegal aliens to be brought to the floor again this week. However, the Senate took longer than expected to complete work on an energy bill that does nothing to increase the supply of energy and simply imposes more restrictions on Americans. Of course we were successful in defeating Democrat attempts to use that bill to raise the price of gasoline through a tax increase.

Immigration Bill Losing Support?

Perhaps another reason that Senator Harry Reid didn't bring the bill up this week is that the support for the measure continues to slip away. Senator Trent Lott, chief vote counter for the GOP in the Senate, hinted that he thought the 60 votes necessary to move the measure forward could be found. But as Lott also bit the hand the feeds him by offending talk radio listeners I'm less inclined to take his word for it.

In fact it would appear that some members of the Senate who previously supported the bill or were on the fence have decided to oppose the measure when the vote comes sometime next week. According to National Review both Georgia Senators, who previously backed the bill, are pledged to vote against ending debate on the measure which requires 60 votes. Fence sitter Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) has also moved into the NO column.

Senator McConnell, GOP Leader in the Senate, is also reported to be having reservations based on the same concerns with the "Z" visa that I expressed in my letter to Senator Graham.

National Review lists 12 Senators who may be leaning toward voting to end the debate (for cloture) which would mean the bill would pass by a simple majority vote. Those Senators are:

Bond (R-Mo.), Bingaman (D-N.M.), Burr (R-N.C.), Boxer (D-Calif.), Cochran (R-Miss.), Conrad (D-N.D.), Ensign (R-Nev.), Levin (D-Mich.), Gregg (R-N.H.), Nelson (D-Neb.), Hatch (R-Utah), Webb (D-Va.).

Peel off another 7 or 8 no votes and the current immigration bill is dead as a doornail in the Senate.

As expressed in my letter to Senator Graham, there are many good ideas in the current immigration bill. But the poison pill for most of us is another round of amnesty for illegals and no confidence that the government will follow through with vital border security and enforcement provisions.

Senator Inhofe (R-OK) would like to invite readers who share those concerns to sign a statement to the U.S. Senate: "I am one of the millions of Americans who believes our first priority as a nation should be to secure our borders by enforcing existing laws. Amnesty is not the solution."

As President Reagan was fond of saying: "trust but verify." When it comes to an immigration solution, verification of border security is necessary before we move forward.