DREAM Act Not Passed Due To Filibuster Of Defense Bill (Which Also Contained The Repeal Of DADT)

From FAIR:

DREAM Act Amendment Dies with Defense Authorization Bill


This afternoon the Senate refused to take up the Defense Authorization Bill (S.3454), and the controversial amendment known as the DREAM Act died with it. Although the Department of Defense (DOD) bill was controversial for several reasons, the debate boiled over last week when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced that he and Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) would offer the DREAM Act (S.729) as an amendment to it. Many, including FAIR, decried the announcement as pure politics in an election year.



However, before the DREAM Act could be offered as an amendment, the Senate first had to vote to proceed with debate on the DOD bill. That motion required 60 votes to pass.



At around 2:30 p.m. today, the Senate voted on the motion to proceed. The motion failed 56-43. Without a floor debate, Senators Reid and Durbin cannot offer the DREAM Act as an amendment. This is great news for true immigration reformers!



After the motion failed, Senators Reid and Durbin took to the Senate floor to angrily denounce the Senators who voted no. They accused their colleagues of not having the courage to bring the DREAM Act to a vote and vowed that this would not end the fight to pass this amnesty legislation. Many political observers feel that the next attempt to pass amnesty legislation will come during the lame-duck session of Congress, which will begin after the election and end before new members take office in January.

And, from Numbers USA:

SENATE CLOTURE VOTE FAILS




Thanks for all of your hard work in making phone calls and sending faxes the last 8 days.



The Senate just failed by a count of 56-43 to approve cloture, which would have allowed debate to begin on a Defense bill that Senate leaders hoped would include the DREAM Act amnesty.



Because it takes 60 votes for cloture, the Defense bill had to be pulled.



The insistence of Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-Nev.) in using the Defense bill as a vehicle for the amnesty was one of the key reasons why Republicans refused to allow debate on the bill.



Every Republican (except Sen. Murkowski of Alaska who was absent) voted NO.



Sen. Pryor of Arkansas looked to be the sole Democrat who would vote against Reid but, in the end, his fellow Arkansas Democrat Sen. Lincoln also voted NO.



It would be unfair to infer that every Democrat voting YES to start debate supports the DREAM amnesty. We know that on a direct up or down on the amnesty, many of the Democrats would have voted NO. But this opening cloture vote was one that pushed Democrats to show Party loyalty to just start the debate.



I really believe that many of you are in states where you had persuaded your Democratic Senator to vote NO on the DREAM amnesty amendment itself. Good work, all of you.

And, from ALIPAC:

ALIPAC Congratulates Americans for Defeating Dream Amnesty




For national release



September 21, 2010



CONTACT: Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC)

(866) WilliamG@alipac.us



While Democratic Senators Reid and Durbin complain on the Senate floor about the latest defeat of the Dream Act Amnesty by a cloture vote that fell four votes short of the 60 needed to make it into law, ALIPAC is thanking supporters and all American activists and groups that rose up to defeat the bill.



Americans for Legal Immigration PAC deployed new strategies and an extensive national volunteer force in the battle against Reid and Obama's attempt to insert Dream Act Amnesty into today's defense spending bill. This morning, ALIPAC endorsed 14 candidates for US Senate based on their opposition to Dream. By pulling the bill into the elections and flooding campaign offices, as well as, DC offices with calls opposing Amnesty, ALIPAC helped defeat Dream Act for the third time.



"Now it's time for political payback!" said William Gheen President of ALIPAC. "President Obama, Senators Reid and Durbin have made a huge tactical mistake. By energizing our supporters and delivering a morale quenching defeat to Dream and Comprehensive Amnesty supporters, the way is clear for massive political change on November 2!"



ALIPAC would like to thank the thousands of activists who worked hard to rally Americans against the Dream Act cloture vote that failed today. Many people gave their time and funds to secure this victory for those dedicated to the enforcement of America's existing border and immigration laws instead of Amnesty.



Despite the fact that America's two top conservative news sources, Fox News and Drudge Report, failed to alert their conservative supporters and talk radio show hosts about the impending vote at 2:30pm EST today, ALIPAC's extensive communications network, along with the networks of other fine bloggers, local, and national organizations, was enough to defeat.



"Today's victory was a victory for Americans, grass roots conservatives, and the new media," said William Gheen. "We have proven we can defeat Amnesty legislation with little or no TV or newspaper coverage. Now we are going to prove we have the power to throw some of the most powerful people in America out of office, if we all pull together to secure a peaceful, political, velvet revolution in America. Revolution now! Revolution now America!"



Americans for Legal Immigration is now endorsing 159 Federal candidates for office and will work hard this week to direct the momentum created by today's victory over illegal aliens and their supporters into more victories in the elections.



ALIPAC is contacting the Civil Rights division of the FBI to try to identify and press charges against the Dream Act Amnesty supporters that attempted to disrupt our phone communications for the last days by making hundreds of harassing phone calls to tie up the lines, block communications, and interfere with our civil rights as Americans.

And, From Human Rights Campaign (HRC):

Just moments ago, Senate Republicans blocked the bill that contains the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" from even receiving an up-or-down vote. Not a single one broke ranks.




It's an outrage. But this doesn't mean the fight is over. Senate majority leader Harry Reid has committed to bringing the bill back up after the November elections – and we'll have a fighting chance to get it passed then – so we'll put everything we have into that effort.



In the meantime, we need to pursue every possible avenue to get rid of this law. And the Justice Department may be our best hope.



Here's why: A federal district court recently ruled that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" is unconstitutional. Now, the Justice Department has a choice: they can fight the decision, or they can let it stand and bring "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" one step closer to the dustbin of history.



Add your name to our open letter asking the Justice Department NOT to fight this landmark court decision. Then spread the word to your friends and contacts.



Today's move by Senate Republicans is an outrage. Not a single Republican senator was willing to even begin debate on this important legislation, which includes a pay raise for our service members.



But we've faced setbacks before, and this is not the end of the road. We'll keep our efforts at full steam as we prepare for another showdown in the Senate after the election.



And if Attorney General Eric Holder agrees not to appeal the recent court decision, discharges under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" could become a relic of the past.



We need to make sure the Attorney General gets the message: he may very well be our best hope to bring about the repeal of this discriminatory law.



Add your name to our open letter.



Then spread the word by email, Facebook, and Twitter.



Thanks for your help. Together, we can and we will end this law once and for all.



Sincerely,

Joe Solmonese

President