Immigration Bill is Shelved

The Senateleft for their two week recess today without being able to vote on animmigration bill. Given that they were unable to get a floor vote, leadershiphas indicated that they will be sending the Martinez- Hagel “compromise” backto the Judiciary Committee, as the negotiations on procedural steps broke down,once again. (But who knows if the Judiciary Committee will take up thebill again, given the volatility of the issue, and if they do, will be able toforge another “compromise.”)

The breakdown happened because Senators Frist and Reid could not agree on the number ofamendments that would be brought to the floor for a vote.  The Republicanshad over 400 amendments, many of which would have gutted parts of thebill.  Although Senator McCain said that supporters of the compromise hadthe votes to defeat negative amendments, I am not sure of this, especially withregard to such amendments as the Kyl amendment that would have made anyone witha voluntary departure ineligible for the legalization program. Senator Reidalso had been trying to get an agreement that the full Judiciary Committeewould sit as the Conference Committee, as a safeguard against the Sensenbrennerbill.

Source:Judy Golub, Executive Director, Immigrant Legal Resource Center

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