Sen. Reid may push the bill through today
posted at 3:20 pm on June 26, 2007 by Bryan
Legislative tricks. No treats.
If 60 Senators vote to make S. 1639 the pending business in the Senate on Tuesday, June 26, Sen. Reid will immediately take the floor of the Senate and offer a 1st degree amdt. to S. 1639, and ask for the yeas and nays. This guarantees a roll call vote will occur on this amdt.
He will then send a 2nd degree amdt to the desk and ask for the yeas and nays. This achieves the same for the 2nd degree amdt. He will then ask that the amdt. to be divided.
This amdt will automatically be divided into sections that can stand alone as individual amdts. In other words, his second degree amdt. may have 18 sections, and by using this procedure, he has now put in place 18 amdts. Since the yeas and nays were ordered, so he has now been guaranteed a roll call vote will occur on all of these sections by using the Rules of the Senate.
These sections are presumably going to contain the text of amdts he believes Republican and Democratic Senators wanted to offer when the Senate debated the last immigration bill a few weeks ago.
Now no other amdts are in order since he has placed his amdts in these specific places in the amendment process allowed by the Senate Rules. No other Senator can stop him from using these maneuvers since Sen. Reid has priority recognition over all other United States Senators. By Sen. Reid using this amendment process and calling for a division of his amdt., he can guarantee Senators that votes will occur on issues he has chosen to offer and on issues he believes will please enough Senators as to earn the 60 votes necessary to invoke cloture and pass the bill.
Sen. Reid will then send a cloture motion to the desk setting up the cloture vote for Thursday. The bill is now pending but no Senator can offer amdts because he is blocking them by using his priority recognition and offering his own amdts.
If 60 Senators vote on Thursday to limit debate on S. 1639, at the end of the 30 hours allowed by Senate Rule 22, votes will automatically begin, without further debate, on all of the Reid amdts in a back-to-back sequence. The final vote will be a vote on Final Passage of S. 1639, the Kennedy Immigration bill.
This is from a memo drafted by former Secretary for the Majority and Minority in the U.S. Senate, Elizabeth B. Letchworth. The first condition, cloture, has already been met. I just saw Sen. Reid on C-SPAN2 talking about the bill but didn’t catch what he was saying. The point is, the Thursday cloture vote may not happen if the strategy outlined above is being pursued.
(h/t InstaPundit)
Blowback
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To the House we go.
Already looking up phone numbers.
mesablue on June 26, 2007 at 3:24 PM
I wonder if I can convince the wife and kids to move to New Zealand . . . last one out, please turn off the lights.
BAB on June 26, 2007 at 3:29 PM
mesablue on June 26, 2007 at 3:24 PM
I have already talked to my rep when the shamnesty first appeared, he is on record for its destruction. But a few follow up calls to remind him of his obligations will be forthcoming.
deadbackpacker on June 26, 2007 at 3:29 PM
I read that before and don’t understand Miniter’s point. In which scenario does Reid bring the bill to a vote today? As far as I understand it, this is just a simple description of the clay pigeon tactic we’ve been reading about for the past week. (MM seems to think so too.) What’s the news here?
Allahpundit on June 26, 2007 at 3:30 PM
Get the F*CK OUT!
Those goddamn bastards! I bet they planned that all along!
Good point mesa.
Bad Candy on June 26, 2007 at 3:30 PM
We’ve been baffled by BS! Does anyone besides me think this was the plan all along! Say you are against this trash to gain cover for the folks back home, only to vote for it the second time around? Looks to me like they all caved too easily!
Dread Pirate Roberts VI on June 26, 2007 at 3:31 PM
A dark day for the integrity of our legislative branch. If we lose in the House, is that it?
WisCon on June 26, 2007 at 3:31 PM
Perhaps it’s time to demand a special election.
Speakup on June 26, 2007 at 3:35 PM
Reid and the CAIR do know how to use our rules against us.
bbz123 on June 26, 2007 at 3:36 PM
It’s the first I’d seen of it laid out like this. Is it the same as clay pigeon?
Bryan on June 26, 2007 at 3:37 PM
Still need the second closure vote… this one to actualy end debate on the amendments…
What this means is that only Reid will be able to propose amendments, unless that closure vote fails… which it should.
Romeo13 on June 26, 2007 at 3:37 PM
Time to move to New Zealand.
BAB on June 26, 2007 at 3:38 PM
Interesting how Reid is using his victory today against the Republican Party. The Republicans’ complicity in this scheme did not even buy them an hour’s good-will from the Democrats.
I will change my registration to “decline to state,” and I will have to walk past at least two day-labor sites on my way to the Post Office to get the form.
Nosferightu on June 26, 2007 at 3:38 PM
The clay pigeon idea is that Reid is going to split the bill into a bunch of different pre-approved amendments which will soak up the time for debate and prevent opponents of the bill from offering their own. Sounds like that’s what Miniter is describing. I also don’t follow how he gets from “Reid is pushing the bill through today!” to “Final cloture vote on Thursday!” Is it today or Thursday?
Allahpundit on June 26, 2007 at 3:39 PM
WE THE PEOPLE MY ASS!
soulsirkus on June 26, 2007 at 3:44 PM
WisCon … “integrity” and “legislative branch” are mutually exclusive terms.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – It’s no longer Republicans vs. Democrats; it’s Us vs. Them, and They intend to win. The People no longer matter. The political pigs in perpetuity couldn’t care less about Us, or about our borders. The Balkanization of America continues.
OhEssYouCowboys on June 26, 2007 at 3:46 PM
These fat calts will not miss a meal .Many of us may because of this.
It also is designed to take the power of the states away and put it in the hands of the feds at an even greater level. This is bad mojo.
bbz123 on June 26, 2007 at 3:49 PM
Unfortunately, our Senators (and I realize that I use the word “our” somewhat loosely) forgot the context. It’s supposed to be “We the People of the United States“, something that illegal aliens are NOT, any more than a burglar in your house is your roommate.
Bigfoot on June 26, 2007 at 3:55 PM
We must send these goof-balls packing. Some on the liars who passed the 1986 Immigration Bill are the same ones shoving this down our throats. When those who represent us refuse to represent us then we HAVE TO flush these bums. Like was stated before, this is not a republican vs democrat thing, but us against them. The House of Reprentatives will not pass this bill, but we can never forget those who sold us out. Never forget.
volsense on June 26, 2007 at 4:03 PM
Is there any way Constitutionally, the PEOPLE can get an amendment started to void any law the Congress writes?
Seems like there’s a safety mechanism for just about every circumstance, should be one for when 80% of the people don’t like the law that Big Biz, the Lobbiest, the Pres and the Congress is cooking up.
Anyone know?
stenwin77 on June 26, 2007 at 4:05 PM
It’s bad juju, too.
Editor on June 26, 2007 at 4:13 PM
What’s next? Seccesion from the union? Just kidding. All we can do besides running ads against these s***heads, as Bryan suggested in his previou piece, is to vote these bastards out. I forsee a whole new Senate. Of course, it will take 6 years to accomplish. May be the congress will see what’s happening and for sure vote it down, at least to save their jobs. We can also support, with money and retoric, the fence building. A group is building a fence at their own expense already. It’s going to take a long time, but it’s BETTER THAN NOTHING or AMNESTY!
countywolf on June 26, 2007 at 4:13 PM
Anyone know?
stenwin77 on June 26, 2007 at 4:05 PM
unseen on June 26, 2007 at 4:19 PM
Can our political system get more messed up?
Don’t answer that.
On-my-soap-box on June 26, 2007 at 4:22 PM
I think what makes this news, is the fact that normally, after the cloture vote on thursday, the senate would then have time alloted for debate on final passage. And I think that, with the sequencing of the primary and secondary amdnts, the final passage vote will take place immediately, without further debate on final passage. I’m not an expert, but that is what it sounds like to me. This does seem to go further than what was described in the clay pigeon scenerio.
Weight of Glory on June 26, 2007 at 4:23 PM
Even under Miniter’s scenario there’s the 30 hour thing, so that puts it out past today at least. Er, if I’m reading it right.
Bryan on June 26, 2007 at 4:24 PM
In other words, instead of a vote on final passage sometime next week, all obstacles will be cleared within 30 hrs. from 12:00 today, allowing the vote (50+1) to take place immediately after the 60 vote cloture on thursday
Weight of Glory on June 26, 2007 at 4:28 PM
The only course of redress for the people is in the Supreme Court. Citizens would have to bring a suit that directly challenges the constitutionality of the law, if the bill is passed and then signed by the President. Alternatively citizens could bring suits in cases that directly arise from the normal application of the laws this bill creates. At least one of those suits would have to reach SCOTUS on Constitutional grounds.
Then, as with this week’s McCain/Feingold case, the SCOTUS would evaluate the laws, and could strike provisions of it or all of it as being unconstitutional. They could also, as with the original McCain/Feingold case, rule it acceptable as written. Finally, they could refuse to rule on it altogether.
Much better it fails to become law, than expect it to be overturned in the court.
Freelancer on June 26, 2007 at 4:43 PM
Actualy there is also a “Petition of Redress” in the Constitution as well… although I don’t think its ever actualy been used….
May be time… on the grounds of equal protection… ( you know… tax evasion, document fraud…. all those things they do to stay here…).
Romeo13 on June 26, 2007 at 4:58 PM
Maybe it is now time We The People start pushing for something that I think is now very seriously needed. It’s called Term Limitations On All Members Of Congress! If the President’s total time in office is only two terms, maybe the same limititation should be imposed on the members of both the House and the Senate. Meaning if you have been in office more than two terms right now, you are gone! We could see guys like Byrd, Lott, Kennedy, Biden, Durbin, McConnell, and the rest of the Career Politico Crowd get ushered out the door and back to the Real World in one felled swoop!
pilamaye on June 26, 2007 at 5:26 PM
While I love the idea of term limits, how is it ever going to happen?
Expecting a Senator or House member to pass a bill that cuts their own power, cuts them off from the gravy train… It just isn’t going to happen.
Like asking the foxes to make a law limiting their access to the hen house.
LegendHasIt on June 26, 2007 at 6:03 PM
Follow the money… to the pols’ pockets.
There must be some serious under-the-table grease going on.
Most “investigative journalists”, disturbingly, are in favor of this amnesty (suicide by superior self-loathing) but here should be a few left who care more about getting a good, flashy “gotcha” story -on a bribed (sweetheart deals for family members, padded speaking fees, promises of future employment, stock options, etc.) pimp-politico- than merely assisting in the multiculti undoing of America.
The plain brown bags must be bursting.
profitsbeard on June 26, 2007 at 6:15 PM