LOS ANGELES – The Senate on Saturday failed to muster the 60 votes necessary to cut off debate about the DREAM Act, thus ensuring that the bill will not become law during the present session of Congress. While a majority of senators voted to move this much-needed legislation, which the House of Representatives had already approved, to a final vote, 41 voted against DREAM.
National Immigration Law Center would like to take a moment to recognize senators who courageously voted to provide undocumented young people who were brought to the U.S. as children a path to legal status if they attend college or serve in the armed forces. If either of your senators voted in favor of the DREAM Act, please call them to thank them for supporting the bill. In particular, we want to highlight a few senators who did the right thing despite intense pressure brought to bear on them to vote against DREAM.
– Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) (202- 224-6665)
– Richard Lugar (R-IN) (202-224-4814)
– Michael Bennet (D-CO) (202-224-5852)
– Mary Landrieu (D-LA) (202-224-5824)
– Kent Conrad (D-ND) (202-224-2043)
– Byron Dorgan (D-ND) (202-224-2551)
– Claire McCaskill (D-MO) (202-224-6154)
Most Republican and a few Democratic senators failed to vote in favor of the DREAM Act despite an intense campaign by a wide cross-section of supporters. Please call and remind them that DREAMers and their supporters will not forget that they failed to stand up for this much-needed legislation.
To see how your senators voted, click here,
http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=111&session=2&vote=00278#position
Despite this legislative setback, we at the National Immigration Law Center will continue to fight for an immigration system that reflects our economic and societal needs. This includes ensuring that DREAMers will receive the opportunity they deserve to serve the country they love.
