Immigration Bill Blocked by Senate

On Thursday the US Senate voted 46 in favor, with 53 opposed to end debate about the immigration bill that would have provided a path to US Citizenship to illegal immigrants in the US.

According to Congressional Quaterly, if passed, the immigration bill would have allowed millions of illegal immigrants to stay, receive legal status and ultimately earn citizenship; provide $4.4 billion in mandatory spending for border security and enforcement; and create a new temporary worker program.

“If we miss this opportunity, there is not likely to be another in the next few years,” Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) said to the International Tribune.

So why was it blocked? Bloomberg says:

Still, Republicans said the legislation didn’t do enough to prevent illegal immigration and would give amnesty to those who entered the country illegally. They weren’t persuaded to support the measure by Bush’s endorsement of a plan to add $4.4 billion to improve border security and control illegal immigration.

Opponents cited the failure of four presidents to stem the tide of border crossings from Mexico since 1986, when Congress enacted an immigration law that offered legal amnesty to 3 million undocumented aliens then in the U.S.

The issue is so sensitive that it will most likely be avoided until after the 2008 presidential election. No matter what side of the fence you are on this vote impacts all of us. I tuned into 106.5 FM, a traditionally Spanish language radio station, and heard some callers crying, expressing their sadness in Spanish while other callers gloated in English. What I did not expect to hear this morning was the hope that some callers expressed they had for the bill to pass. Hope that a majority Republican Senate would pass this immigration bill.

When the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 was signed by Ronald Reagan, a majority Republican Senate had signed the bill one month before – maybe there was hope.