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Ranchers.net

Senate resurrects immigration bill
Plan opposed by most Americans wins crucial vote to move forward

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Posted: June 26, 2007
12:37 p.m. Eastern



© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com



Backers of the controversial immigration reform bill in the Senate got the 60 votes they needed to clear procedural hurdles and resurrect the bill today.

Two weeks ago, only 45 senators supported a vote for cloture that would cut off debate and proceed to a vote.

Today, the senators who voted 64-35 to move the legislation forward included 24 Republicans, 39 Democrats and independent Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. In opposition were 25 Republicans, nine Democrats and independent Sen. Bernard Sanders of Vermont.

The roll call, showing how each senator voted, can be seen below.

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., who co-sponsored the bill along with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called the vote "a major step forward for our national security, for our economy, and for our humanity."

"We did the right thing today because we know the American people sent us here to act on our most urgent problems. We know they will not stand for small political factions getting in the way," Kennedy said in a statement.

The Senate is scheduled to resume debate this afternoon, addressing some of the more than two dozen amendments that could make or break the bill.

A cloture vote to close debate, requiring 60 senators, likely will come later this week, followed by a final tally, which will require only a majority.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada plans to use a rare maneuver known as a "clay pigeon" to advance a predetermined set of Republican and Democratic amendments and vote quickly on them.

Republican Sens. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and Jeff Sessions of Alabama wrote Reid yesterday in opposition to the prodecure, charging it would "shut off the debate" and "silence amendments."

Reid, in reply, acknowledged the move was unusual but insisted it was necessary to prevent a filibuster by Republicans. The Nevada Democrat said the procedure is supported by the Republicans' Senate leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, and the White House.

As WND reported, despite a vigorous White House effort to rally support for the bill, only 22 percent of Americans favor it, according to a new national survey.

The plan would provide a path to legal status for the estimated 12-20 million illegal aliens now in the U.S. Opponents call the provision amnesty, because it allows illegals to acquire a "probationary" visa after only a quick, 24-hour background check. The White House contends the carefully crafted compromise would focus first on enforcement, allowing for more Border Patrol agents, more cameras and other technologies.




Grouped by Home State Alabama: Sessions (R-AL), Nay Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Alaska: Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Arizona: Kyl (R-AZ), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Yea
Arkansas: Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea
California: Boxer (D-CA), Yea Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Colorado: Allard (R-CO), Nay Salazar (D-CO), Yea
Connecticut: Dodd (D-CT), Yea Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea
Delaware: Biden (D-DE), Yea Carper (D-DE), Yea
Florida: Martinez (R-FL), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Georgia: Chambliss (R-GA), Nay Isakson (R-GA), Nay
Hawaii: Akaka (D-HI), Yea Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Idaho: Craig (R-ID), Yea Crapo (R-ID), Nay
Illinois: Durbin (D-IL), Yea Obama (D-IL), Yea
Indiana: Bayh (D-IN), Nay Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Iowa: Grassley (R-IA), Nay Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Kansas: Brownback (R-KS), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Kentucky: Bunning (R-KY), Nay McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Louisiana: Landrieu (D-LA), Nay Vitter (R-LA), Nay
Maine: Collins (R-ME), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Yea
Maryland: Cardin (D-MD), Yea Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Massachusetts: Kennedy (D-MA), Yea Kerry (D-MA), Yea
Michigan: Levin (D-MI), Yea Stabenow (D-MI), Nay
Minnesota: Coleman (R-MN), Yea Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Mississippi: Cochran (R-MS), Nay Lott (R-MS), Yea
Missouri: Bond (R-MO), Yea McCaskill (D-MO), Nay
Montana: Baucus (D-MT), Nay Tester (D-MT), Nay
Nebraska: Hagel (R-NE), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Nevada: Ensign (R-NV), Yea Reid (D-NV), Yea
New Hampshire: Gregg (R-NH), Yea Sununu (R-NH), Nay
New Jersey: Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
New Mexico: Bingaman (D-NM), Yea Domenici (R-NM), Yea
New York: Clinton (D-NY), Yea Schumer (D-NY), Yea
North Carolina: Burr (R-NC), Yea Dole (R-NC), Nay
North Dakota: Conrad (D-ND), Yea Dorgan (D-ND), Nay
Ohio: Brown (D-OH), Yea Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Oklahoma: Coburn (R-OK), Nay Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Oregon: Smith (R-OR), Nay Wyden (D-OR), Yea
Pennsylvania: Casey (D-PA), Yea Specter (R-PA), Yea
Rhode Island: Reed (D-RI), Yea Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
South Carolina: DeMint (R-SC), Nay Graham (R-SC), Yea
South Dakota: Johnson (D-SD), Not Voting Thune (R-SD), Nay
Tennessee: Alexander (R-TN), Nay Corker (R-TN), Nay
Texas: Cornyn (R-TX), Nay Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Utah: Bennett (R-UT), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Nay
Vermont: Leahy (D-VT), Yea Sanders (I-VT), Nay
Virginia: Warner (R-VA), Yea Webb (D-VA), Yea
Washington: Cantwell (D-WA), Yea Murray (D-WA), Yea
West Virginia: Byrd (D-WV), Nay Rockefeller (D-WV), Nay
Wisconsin: Feingold (D-WI), Yea Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Wyoming: Barrasso (R-WY), Nay Enzi (R-WY), Nay
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