Immigration Bill Fails Cloture Vote

By a large margin, 33-63. So the Senate is not ready to cut off debate by a long shot. There will probably be yet another vote later today on the measure, however. Harry Reid is not pulling the bill off the floor just yet.

Still, the measure — a top priority for President Bush that's under attack from the right and left — got a reprieve when Majority Leader Harry Reid (news, bio, voting record), D-Nev., said he would give it more time before yanking the bill and moving on to other matters.

"We need to complete this marathon," Reid said.

His decision set the stage for yet another procedural vote later Thursday that will measure lawmakers' appetite for a so-called "grand bargain" between liberals and conservatives on immigration.

By a vote of 33-63, the Senate fell far short of the 60 votes that would have been needed to limit debate on the immigration measure and put it on a path to passage. Republicans — even those who helped craft the measure and are expected to support it — banded together to oppose that move, while a majority of Democrats backed it.

It isn't over yet. But the amendment approved earlier that provides a sunset for the guest worker program - offered by a Democrat - may be the deal breaker.

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  By BillT, June 7, 2007 @ 10:54 am

  “It isn’t over yet. But the amendment approved earlier that provides a sunset for the guest worker program - offered by a Democrat - may be the deal breaker.”

  I don’t think there is a deal-breaker in this one. I think this will go through in some form. What form is the big question.

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  By terrence, June 7, 2007 @ 1:24 pm

  I just heard a “news” clip on ABC radio with Harry Reid. Dingy Harry said the migration bill problems were all Bush’s fault; ABC “news” presented it this way, too. Bush was not able to get support for his bill; so don’t blame Harry and the Democrats if it fails. It is ALL bush’s fault.

Other Links to this Post

1. Immigration Bill Going Down « Michael P.F. van der Galiën — June 7, 2007 @ 1:33 pm