House Passes DREAM Act 216-198
A huge cheer just went up from the House as Nancy Pelosi announced the House passage of the DREAM Act. 8 Republicans crossed the aisle and voted for it along with 208 Democrats. Republicans voting for it: Cao, Castle, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, Inglis, Ros-Lehtinen, Djou, Ehlers. Democrats voting against it: The usual BlueDog crew. Among those who failed to cast a vote: Phil Gingrey, who mounted a hot-headed speech for why it shouldn't be passed, then failed to vote.
Here's Howard Berman's passionate floor speech closing the debate:
Begin your countdown to the massive wingnut head implosion ...
UPDATE: Here's the final roll call.
Also, here's the statement issued by the White House:
I congratulate the House of Representatives, Speaker Pelosi, Congressman Berman, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and other congressional leaders for taking the historic step of passing the DREAM Act today with a bipartisan vote. This vote is not only the right thing to do for a group of talented young people who seek to serve a country they know as their own by continuing their education or serving in the military, but it is the right thing for the United States of America. We are enriched by their talents and the success of their efforts will contribute to our nation’s success and security. And as the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office found, the DREAM Act would cut the deficit by $2.2 billion over the next 10 years. I strongly urge the U.S. Senate to also pass the DREAM Act so that I can sign it into law as soon as possible.
This vote is a vitally important step to doing what the American people expect their policymakers to do: work together to address the nation’s most pressing problems. The DREAM Act corrects one of the most egregious flaws of a badly broken immigration system. A flaw that forces children who have grown up in America, who speak English, who have excelled in our communities as academics, athletes, or volunteers to put their lives and talent on hold at a great cost to themselves and our nation.
I also congratulate the House for moving past the tired sound bites and false debates that have pushed immigration rhetoric into the extremes for far too long. The DREAM Act is not amnesty; it’s about accountability, and about tapping into a pool of talent we’ve already invested in. The DREAM Act is a piece of a larger debate that is needed to restore responsibility and accountability to our broken immigration system broadly. My administration will continue to do everything we can to move forward on immigration reform; today’s House vote is an important step in this vital effort.
I've been working on this (and larger immigration reform) for 7 year! Awesome! Now I just hope we can move the Senate!
Bask in the glory of winning half the race.
Already decided. Going to be punted to the next Congress.
So is DADT.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
"The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (The "DREAM Act") is a piece of proposed federal legislation in the United States that was first introduced in the United States Senate on August 1, 2001 and most recently re-introduced there and the United States House of Representatives on March 26, 2009. This bill would provide certain illegal and deportable alien students who graduate from US high schools, who are of good moral character, arrived in the U.S. illegally as minors, and have been in the country continuously and illegally for at least five years prior to the bill's enactment, the opportunity to earn conditional permanent residency if they complete two years in the military or two years at a four year institution of higher learning."
" The students would obtain temporary residency for a six year period. Within the six year period, a qualified student must have "acquired a degree from an institution of higher education in the United States or [have] completed at least 2 years, in good standing, in a program for a bachelor's degree or higher degree in the United States," or have "served in the uniformed services for at least 2 years and, if discharged, [have] received an honorable discharge.] Military enlistment contracts require an eight year commitment, with active duty commitments typically between four and six years, but as low as two years. "Any alien whose permanent resident status is terminated [according to the terms of the Act] shall return to the immigration status the alien had immediately prior to receiving conditional permanent resident status under this Act."
What is your conceptual, continuity?
Thx, mudshark. I was wondering, and never looked up that legislation.
some people got sweet nothing to do all day except expound.
Take it easy on yourself there bud. I don't want to see to you hurt yourself. I know you really had to exert yourself coming up with that one.
What is your conceptual, continuity?
...was wondering about is why the House would be so jubilant about a bill that is going to die in the Senate anyway.
We have great kids in our community who are sons and daughters of migrant farm workers. They work hard, contribute to the community. Many of them get up and pick strawberries in the field before and after school. This is their ticket out of the fields.
is being raped and held hostage by the oligarchs is hilarious!
Not all things are mutually exclusive. Not all priorities have to be dealt with in sequence. Good things can happen while bad things are also taking place.
... now lets hope the senate does the right thing.
CTHULHU 2012 "Why vote for a lesser evil?"
When has the Senate did the right thing in the last two years? Answer: they haven't and what a shame!
I feel so sorry for these kids who entered our country illegally but had no say in the matter. They hide, run, and live in fear every day, especially if they reached the age of majority. The House did the right thing and passed the legislation, but the Senate "does not have the necessary votes." How many times have we heard Senator Reid utter those very words? Time to change the rules of the Senate....yeah, about two years ago!
I now have a modicum of respect for the Diaz-Balart Brothers.
House Dems do good, most likely blocked in senate by repugs. Will we see a single democrat come out and tell latino voters who the repugs are responsible for it not going through? I hope, but hope hasn't gotten us very far yet.
Looook how cute she is. Nancy gets so happy when she gets to bang the gavel.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
compared to all the other fiascos Americans have to face up to. Repugs are happy, as well as others, to promote military enlistment to Latinos. More young fodder for the everlasting wars. Can't get over the rah rah and concern for immigrant offspring while we butcher children in far away places such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and give a high five to Israel as they continue their genocide against Arabs. Yeah everything is hunkey dorey for Nancy and all the air heads. Back to dancing with the stars shallow ones.
i went door to door working for this piece of shit douche nozzle and in 2012 i will support any progressive running against this sorry motherfucker.
touche
Here here!
Time to start a campaign to dump his worthless a**!
If I were a psychopath, I would join the republican party, and get in on the gravy train taking the Teabircher morons to the cleaners.
All the same Americans that were at his inauguration speech, demonstrating and demanding his resignation. You know, I think this is one issue the Repugs would take part in. It would be a great bipartisan event. I do believe the Clintons would be very inclined to organize such a historic moment.
Good progressive legislation passes the House. Now it goes to the Senate, where it will die a slow and painful death.
Afterward, the blame will be heaped on Obama for not passing this by fiat, and/or not waving his magic wand to get the Senate to do what he wants.
They could pass this bill but not an extension of unemployment benefits for their own citizens. It's sickening, but not surprising, since immigration is the engine of the corporate oligarchy.
While I might agree that's it's unfair to deport young adults who have been here since they were children, and even that they should be allowed to attend college, I don't think these people should be eligible for scholarships or in-state tuition unless they go through the process of obtaining citizenship. It's an outrage that some states are giving illegal immigrants in-state tuition while forcing native-born Americans to pay high out-of-state tuition.
It's America "the Beautiful" , where greed and insanity reigns supreme .
Insanity , it is what it is , there is no understanding it .
DADT and the Dream Act might have a chance two years from now .
Insanity , it is what it is , there is no understanding it .
Yes and Susie might right a post that doesn't spew the White House talking points too.
The GOP wants illegals deported and gays out of sight. That's the way it will be.
Vote GOP and move forward to the 18th Century.
Nice way to leave. Not that you ever got my vote, but you get my congratulations on this.
Don't try to confuse the issue with half-truths and gorilla dust.
It was understood all along that the Senate will kill it. The cynicism is corrosive. The bastards are laughing at us.
...
“The greatest evildoers are those who don’t remember because they have never given thought to the matter, and, without remembrance, nothing can hold them back,”
...a nattering nabob of negativity, but I can't believe anyone seriously believes this will make it through the senate. The jubilation in the House will last until the bill dies in the upper chamber.
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