Back on October 24, 2007 a majority of U.S. Senators voted for the DREAM Act but failed to reach the magic number of 60 to proceed to a vote on final passage. The DREAM Act provides a path to citizenship for people who entered the country illegally before the age of sixteen, and who have served at least two years in the military or have completed at least two years of college. It’s an idea the Pentagon embraced during the height of the war in Iraq when they were suffering from recruitment shortfalls. The cloture vote on the DREAM Act wasn’t a strictly partisan affair. Democratic senators Robert Byrd, Jon Tester, Max Baucus, Kent Conrad, Byron Dorgan Claire McCaskill, Mark Pryor, and Mary Landrieu voted against it. Republican senators Bob Bennett, Sam Brownback, Norm Coleman, Susan Collins, Larry Craig, Chuck Hagel, Orrin Hatch, Kay Bailey Hutchison, Trent Lott, Mel Martinez, Dick Lugar and Olympia Snowe voted for it. Overall, the bill won the support of 52 senators. John McCain didn’t bother to cast a vote.
Today McCain took to the Senate floor to strongly object to the DREAM Act being attached to the Defense Appropriations Bill, stating that the Act has nothing whatsoever to do with our national security. It’s hard to see how a bill designed to improve our military recruitment has nothing to do with our national security, but that’s what McCain is claiming.
As you probably know, the Defense Appropriations Bill is the most must-pass bill in existence. If it doesn’t pass our troops are left in the field with nothing but their genitalia in their hands. If you want to pass something that cannot otherwise pass, you attach it to the Defense spending bill. That’s also why Harry Reid is including language in this year’s bill that will end the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy. He’s letting the Republicans offer an amendment to strip that language out, but they’d need 60 votes to accomplish that, and there’s not a chance in hell that they can pick up 19 Democrats to maintain a homophobic law.
McCain is probably more pissed off about the Democrats giving something important to both the Latino and the LGBT communities on the eve of the midterms than he is about the procedure being used.
Maybe the procedure isn’t pretty, but it’s payback for the Republicans’ unprecedented obstruction. The Democrats will put the DREAM Act in the Defense Appropriations bill and defeat any effort to keep Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell before they recess for the elections. They will also force the Republicans to vote for or against keeping tax cuts for 97% of Americans, and then for or against keeping tax cuts for our richest three percent. It helps to be able to set the agenda.
Meanwhile, the Republicans will spend much of their time trying to explain their fondness for rape babies and hatred of Social Security, Medicare, and masturbation.
That’s what I’m talking about. Solidifying a generation of Latino Dems, one step at a time.
By the way, I always thought it was cool yet under-remarked upon that our Dem national party chair is fluent in Spanish.
Kaine?
It would be nice if he were fluent in English. And able to use talking points without blatantly appearing to be reciting talking points.
Touche – that’s pretty funny.
I read somewhere that the DREAM Act is being offered as an amendment and will require 60 votes to pass and be included in the Defense bill. Or is it the other way? Does the GOP need 60 votes to strip the DREAM Act from the Defense bill like DADT?
Please someone clarify this for me. Thanks!
thanks for highlighting booman.
“If it doesn’t pass our troops are left in the field with nothing but their genitalia in their hands.”
NOT IF O’DONNELL HAS HER WAY!!!!!!
BWAHAHAHAHA!!!
Sorry, couldn’t resist. Carry on.
good one…
This is one of those things that disgruntled progressives should think about before they pretend like they are justified in sitting this election out.
http://www.winningprogressive.org/?p=297
There is one more item on the agenda that will draw a distinction — the ratification of the new START treaty. This treaty is such that the US gets demonstrably more than it gives away. It is a matter of national security. It provides a framework for further disarming Russia and for exerting more influence on other nuclear states. All for the price of the US destroying the world 50 times over instead of 100 times over.
Clear messaging on this one could see a vote that puts Republicans on the spot. Richard Lugar is likely to be the filibuster breaker but ratification requires 67 votes. The GOP if it opposes it will be voting for the nuclear buildup in other countries.
Thanks for pointing out START. And the bottom line is messaging on EVERYTHING has to be concise and consistent. Kaine is not very reassuring in this regard.
I am intrigued about this election breaking back our way, maybe in a bigger way than we can see. For one thing, whenever the media coalesces around a narrative the way they have this time, they’re wrong almost invariably. The Tea Party is a loud, obnoxious and well-funded minority made up of some of the same 25-30 % of people who never abandoned Bush, ever. Latinos, who don’t appear on the radar screen of major media outlets, were a force in the last two elections and will almost certainly be a major one this time. Unions know what’s at stake. Progressives are starting to realize this is dangerous. With efficient execution among all parties we can blunt “wave”. There is little margin for error, but it’s doable.