Our crazy Friday prospects in Mexican Border Fence

Since 09-29-06

From: Roy Beck NumbersUSA <immigrationinfo@numbersusa.com>  

Subject:   Our crazy Friday prospects

Date:   Sep 28, 2006 9:57 PM

From:   Roy Beck, President, NumbersUSA

Date:   Friday 29SEP06     12:45 a.m. EDT

 Let's get that fence passed today

Keep up with all new developments in the House and Senate at www.NumbersUSA.com.
TODAY, ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN

Well, despite all kinds of Wrestle Mania talk by pro-amnesty Senators all week, "cloture" on fence sailed through Thursday night.

At least 60 Senators had to vote on cloture which allows an actual vote on the 700-mile fence bill the House passed earlier this month.

Turns out that 71 did. Even nearly all the trash-talking McCain Brigade ended up voting to end debate so the fence will get a chance, hopefully today.

The 71-28 vote seems to indicate that Majority Leader Frist (R-TN) made a smart move by forcing Senators to take a clear stand just before the final month of campaigning for the November elections.

HERE'S WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO ALL MORNING AND INTO THE AFTERNOON UNTIL WE SEND YOU AN EMAIL SAYING TO STOP:

1. Phone your Senators who voted FOR cloture and urge them to follow through by voting FOR the fence. Tell them they would be rescuing the reputation of the Senate after a year of looking like a bunch of open-border radicals. Many of the Senators who didn't want to look like obstructionists on the cloture vote and voted YES are planning to vote against the final fence bill. They must feel your pressure if we are to win.

2. Phone your Senators who voted AGAINST ending debate (against cloture). These apparently are the most hard-core pro-illegal-immigrationists around. They did not even want to allow a vote on the issue.

U.S. Senate Switchboard
202-224-3121

ALL REPUBLICANS VOTED TO END DEBATE (and give a chance to approve the fence ...

EXCEPT ....

Chafee (R-RI) voted NO

Snowe (R-ME) didn't vote

But a bunch of these Republican Senators have indicated there tremendous disdain for the fence and any other measure that would provide more security without giving an amnesty to the 12 million illegal aliens in this country.

You will really have to push hard on:
Martinez (R-FL)
Graham (R-SC)
Specter (R-PA)
McCain (R-AZ)
Brownback (R-KS)
DeWine (R-OH)

THESE GREAT DEMOCRATS BOWED TO PUBLIC PRESSURE FOR FENCE VOTE

Despite lots of tough talk from national Democratic leaders that the fence is a terrible idea and even immoral, 18 Democratic Senators voted to allow a vote. Those of you who live in their states need to give them a big thanks today and urge them to seal the deal with a vote for the actual fence.

Here are the 18 Democrats:

Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Byrd (D-WV) -- always good
Conrad (D-ND)
Dayton (D-MN)
Dorgan (D-ND) -- nearly always good
Feinstein (D-CA) -- sometimes gets it
Johnson (D-SD)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Nelson (D-FL)
Nelson (D-NE) -- usually very good
Pryor (D-AR)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Wyden (D-OR)

Here are the 26 Democrats who are truly hard-core to protect the ability of illegal immigrants to cross our borders illegally:


Akaka (D-HI)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Clinton (D-NY)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Murray (D-WA)
Obama (D-IL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)

Look for your state below and start the calling.

STATES IN RED Those of you who live in the states in red have a lot of work to do. Your states are the only ones that failed to provide even one vote for the fence. Nothing will change unless your state's pro-rule-of-law voters put a lot more pressure on your Senators.

STATES IN GREEN Congratulations for lots of hard grassroots work in your state. Both of your Senators voted last night to open the way to pass the fence.

Alabama: Sessions (R-AL), Yea Shelby (R-AL), Yea
Alaska: Murkowski (R-AK), Yea Stevens (R-AK), Yea
Arizona: Kyl (R-AZ), Yea McCain (R-AZ), Yea
Arkansas: Lincoln (D-AR), Yea Pryor (D-AR), Yea
California: Boxer (D-CA), Nay Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Colorado: Allard (R-CO), Yea Salazar (D-CO), Nay
Connecticut: Dodd (D-CT), Nay Lieberman (D-CT), Nay
Delaware: Biden (D-DE), Yea Carper (D-DE), Nay
Florida: Martinez (R-FL), Yea Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Georgia: Chambliss (R-GA), Yea Isakson (R-GA), Yea
Hawaii: Akaka (D-HI), Nay Inouye (D-HI), Nay
Idaho: Craig (R-ID), Yea Crapo (R-ID), Yea
Illinois: Durbin (D-IL), Nay Obama (D-IL), Nay
Indiana: Bayh (D-IN), Yea Lugar (R-IN), Yea
Iowa: Grassley (R-IA), Yea Harkin (D-IA), Nay
Kansas: Brownback (R-KS), Yea Roberts (R-KS), Yea
Kentucky: Bunning (R-KY), Yea McConnell (R-KY), Yea
Louisiana: Landrieu (D-LA), Yea Vitter (R-LA), Yea
Maine: Collins (R-ME), Yea Snowe (R-ME), Not Voting
Maryland: Mikulski (D-MD), Yea Sarbanes (D-MD), Nay
Massachusetts: Kennedy (D-MA), Nay Kerry (D-MA), Nay
Michigan: Levin (D-MI), Nay Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Minnesota: Coleman (R-MN), Yea Dayton (D-MN), Yea
Mississippi: Cochran (R-MS), Yea Lott (R-MS), Yea
Missouri: Bond (R-MO), Yea Talent (R-MO), Yea
Montana: Baucus (D-MT), Yea Burns (R-MT), Yea
Nebraska: Hagel (R-NE), Yea Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Nevada: Ensign (R-NV), Yea Reid (D-NV), Nay
New Hampshire: Gregg (R-NH), Yea Sununu (R-NH), Yea
New Jersey: Lautenberg (D-NJ), Nay Menendez (D-NJ), Nay
New Mexico: Bingaman (D-NM), Nay Domenici (R-NM), Yea
New York: Clinton (D-NY), Nay Schumer (D-NY), Nay
North Carolina: Burr (R-NC), Yea Dole (R-NC), Yea
North Dakota: Conrad (D-ND), Yea Dorgan (D-ND), Yea
Ohio: DeWine (R-OH), Yea Voinovich (R-OH), Yea
Oklahoma: Coburn (R-OK), Yea Inhofe (R-OK), Yea
Oregon: Smith (R-OR), Yea Wyden (D-OR), Yea
Pennsylvania: Santorum (R-PA), Yea Specter (R-PA), Yea
Rhode Island: Chafee (R-RI), Nay Reed (D-RI), Nay
South Carolina: DeMint (R-SC), Yea Graham (R-SC), Yea
South Dakota: Johnson (D-SD), Yea Thune (R-SD), Yea
Tennessee: Alexander (R-TN), Yea Frist (R-TN), Yea
Texas: Cornyn (R-TX), Yea Hutchison (R-TX), Yea
Utah: Bennett (R-UT), Yea Hatch (R-UT), Yea
Vermont: Jeffords (I-VT), Nay Leahy (D-VT), Nay
Virginia: Allen (R-VA), Yea Warner (R-VA), Yea
Washington: Cantwell (D-WA), Nay Murray (D-WA), Nay
West Virginia: Byrd (D-WV), Yea Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Wisconsin: Feingold (D-WI), Nay Kohl (D-WI), Nay
Wyoming: Enzi (R-WY), Yea Thomas (R-WY), Yea

We have been giving you faxes and phone calls to make about the House's dealing with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative which is so very important if we are to keep large numbers of illegal aliens from entering the country every day right through our ports of entry under the noses of our own agents.

Here is the Congress Daily read on today:

APPROPRIATIONS
Leaders Trying To Appease Sensenbrenner On Travel ID

The House will take up the FY07 Homeland Security appropriations conference report today after two days of heated negotiations between House GOP leaders, appropriators and House Judiciary Chairman Sensenbrenner.

A visit Thursday from Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff apparently softened Sensenbrenner's objections to language delaying new identification requirements for cross-border travelers, GOP aides said.

Appropriators received the green light to file the conference report Thursday night. Republican leaders were working to develop a colloquy for floor debate to address Sensenbrenner's concerns. Majority Leader Boehner said the measure would be on the floor today, prior to the House adjourning for the month.

Boehner said Thursday the House would likely leave town "tomorrow night."

At issue was a provision agreed to by members of the House-Senate conference committee that would push back the Jan.
1, 2008, deadline for the administration to implement the so-called Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative. The plan, required by the 2004 intelligence overhaul law, would require travelers to the United States to show passports or the equivalent documentation, such as an electronic identification card under development.

Sensenbrenner argues adhering to the deadline is crucial to securing the nation's borders. But the travel industry and supporters in border communities, especially near the Canadian border, argue it would impede commerce and tourism.

"This has caused a lot of ire and anger among our Canadian friends that we don't need," said one individual who is supporting the delay and is involved in the discussions.

Chertoff assured Sensenbrenner the agency would live with the delay. But that was not good enough for the Judiciary chairman, who wants assurances everything will be done to get the program up and running close to the current deadline.

House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky., said the colloquy would stress that the administration would be able to implement the identification rule as soon as it meets certain criteria. That might be as soon as the 2008 deadline, he said.

House Speaker Hastert agrees with Sensenbrenner on the merits. But sources said Hastert also recognizes the political reality that many other Republicans, including a majority of the House-Senate conference committee, strongly support the provision.

Among its chief advocates is Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ted Stevens, R-Alaska. Removing the provision might cost his support and that of other conferees, a risk GOP leaders cannot afford as the Homeland Security measure is a capstone of their security-first strategy with voters.

If House leaders cannot mollify Sensenbrenner, his options are limited other than speaking and voting against the measure. Leaders are unlikely to write the rule for floor debate in a manner that changes the contents of the bill, meaning he would have to round up enough votes to defeat the rule for floor debate.

Support for the underlying bill, which contains $21.3 billion for border protection efforts, is considered broad enough to reach across party lines. By Peter Cohn

U.S. House switchboard:
(202) 225-3121

JUDICIARY
Senate Votes To End Debate On Fence Bill

The Senate voted Thursday night to cut off debate over legislation that would authorize 700 miles of reinforced fencing along the Mexican border. The vote was 71-28 to invoke cloture.

The measure, which passed the House Sept. 14, was the most prominent border security legislation the Republican leadership sought to pass before the election, as efforts to pass a more comprehensive immigration bill faltered amid intraparty disputes.

Majority Leader Frist has been frustrated in trying to secure passage and moved earlier this week to invoke cloture. Democrats, however, stood firm Thursday and said they would run the clock on the fence measure, refusing to vote on it earlier than Saturday.

Passage of the bill will be mostly symbolic, especially as spending for the measure will fall short for what lawmakers want along the Southern border.

For example, the Homeland Security spending bill includes $1.2 billion for fencing and vehicle barriers. But that amount is $600 million less than what was called for in a Senate amendment by Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., to build 370 miles of triple-layer fencing.

Some Republicans also had policy concerns with the fence bill.

GOP Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas said she wanted to offer an amendment to require federal authorities to consult with local law enforcement on where the fences should be built. The House-passed measure would designate five sites for reinforced fencing along the border.

Hutchison said Thursday evening she has approached Senate GOP leadership about her concerns and that they have been responsive.

Other border security measures have also faced difficulty in moving before the fall recess.

House Speaker Hastert was unsuccessful in his attempt to insert language into the Homeland Security conference report that would make it easier to deport illegal immigrants who are gang members. The stand-alone measure passed the House last week, but stalled in the Senate.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Specter threatened to remove his signature from the Homeland Security conference report if Hastert insisted on adding the provision.

House aides indicated the measure might be attached to legislation that would move in the lame-duck session or possibly the FY07 Defense authorization conference report

DEFENSE
Defense Conference Talks Still At Impasse

Negotiations between House Speaker Hastert and Senate Armed Services Chairman Warner over the FY07 defense authorization measure remained at an impasse Thursday evening, with both sides continuing a days-long stalemate that could ultimately shelve the bill until after the midterm elections.....At presstime, it remained unclear whether the session would wrap up tonight or drag into Saturday.

The defense authorization bill has been stalled ever since Hastert decided barely a week ago to use it as a vehicle for federal court security legislation and the House GOP border security bill aimed at detaining and deporting immigrant gang members and speeding the removal of immigrant criminals.

Warner, who has the strong backing of House and Senate Armed Services Democrats, has argued that the speaker's proposed add-ons are non-germane measures that should be considered separately from the widely supported annual defense policy bill. He also has firmly resisted a bid by Senate Majority Leader Frist to include language to block online gambling. House and Senate aides worked throughout the day Thursday to negotiate an end to the stalemate. But several aides said there was little hope of finding a middle ground.

"I don't think there's much to negotiate," one congressional aide said. "You either put the two things on or you don't. There just isn't much else.".....

House Armed Services Chairman Hunter, who has backed Hastert, said Thursday that he has regularly communicated with House GOP leaders and Warner in an effort to bring a conference report to the floor.

During prolonged Senate floor debate Thursday on military tribunal legislation, Warner took a brief break to call Hunter at least once to discuss the defense authorization conference report, Hunter said, declining to divulge details of the conversation.

"John Warner and I have an agreement that we'll talk about our discussions after the bill" is approved, Hunter said....

 

NumbersUSA - relies upon individuals like you to reach its goal of an environmentally sustainable and economically just America.