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IMMIGRATION BILL HAPPENINGS. As various folks are lamenting, a fair number of objectionable amendments worked their way into the immigration bill yesterday. But last night, after the papers went to bed, the good guys won one too: Byron Dorgan's amendment to sunset the guest worker program after five years, which had earlier gone down on a 48-49 vote, passed, on a 49-48 vote. The flips, which mainly came on the right, were weird: Jim Bunning went from no to yes, Tom Coburn went from yes to no, Jim DeMint went from no to yes, Chris Dodd went from abstention to support, Elizabeth Dole went from no to yes, Mike Enzi went from no to yes, etc. This is rather important, as one of the question with the bill is whether a better -- or possibly shorter -- guest worker program crafted in conference with the House can survive the final vote. This is evidence that, particularly on the Republican side, it can.
--Ezra Klein
COMMENTS (7)
I think you misunderstand the shifting votes around the Dorgan amendment.
Approving the Dorgan amendment was the death of the bill. The folks who "won one" last night were the opponents of the bill.
Posted by: Petey | June 7, 2007 11:59 AM
Since the speculation (on righty sites) is that this amendment decreases the odds of passage of the bill, it's very hard to parse why someone might have voted the way they did. Are Bunning/Dole/Enzi/DeMint hoping the bill dies and they won't be put in the awkward position of voting for or against it?
Posted by: SDM | June 7, 2007 12:03 PM
"The flips, which mainly came on the right, were weird"
The flips from the wingnuts were an effort to kill the bill.
The Dorgan amendment was the fatal poison pill.
Good riddance, says I, though my feelings on the matter are quite mild.
Posted by: Petey | June 7, 2007 12:09 PM
Petey, you are correct, Sir.
This approval of this amendment will make it just that much harder for it to pass. I think it's going down in flames.
Posted by: Fred Jones | June 7, 2007 12:10 PM
Why is sunsetting the guest worker program good? Or is it good because it kills a shitty bill.
FWIW, i'm in the camp that thinks this is not the time for an immigration bill for two reasons. first, allowing republicans to get any credit at all on this is a bad idea. second, the bill stinks. The amnesty provisions are stupid and have crazy provisions that make it difficult or impossible for people to take advantage of them who don't have significant financial means. The guest worker program stinks to high heaven as Bracero II. And the democrats can pass something better after the election. Just kill it IMHO.
Posted by: IMU | June 7, 2007 12:24 PM
And the democrats can pass something better after the election.
I think the Dems like things just the way they are.
Posted by: Fred Jones | June 7, 2007 1:03 PM
If the Dorgan amendment is a "poison pill", that pretty much proves what the main thrust of the bill is really about, namely corporate cheap labor interests, and that corporate power infects both parties. If this is what brought the bill down then good for Dorgan!
Posted by: Marsha Krantz | June 17, 2007 5:21 PM