Immigration reform effort is very much alive says Senator Charles Schumer - Page 2

If Senator Reid's numbers are accurate. You need 4... AT LEAST.

1) They didn't need a single cosponsor for health care because they had 60 Senators when they passed the first part. The second part was passed under reconciliation which only requires 51 votes.

2)Unless you can find a way to convince Lincoln, Byrd, and Nelson to vote for CIR, I don't know how you get to 60 votes with only 57 yeas. Go ahead, do the math.

Yes we will need republican votes. But a second republican to co-sponsor the bill is not necessary to introduce the bill.

I don't think they would phase out marriage and family-based petitions.

Great Britain's immigration system still has a family component to it (marriage, children/dependents) and they use a points based system for workers. Canada also allows for you to sponsor relatives (spouse, common-law partner, conjugal partner, dependent child, parents or grandparents) if you're a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. But, the new system may make it impossible for USCs and PRs to sponsor certain relatives. Currently, a USC can petition for siblings, and that may change with this new system.

The points based system would be in place to manage the influx of skilled and unskilled workers.

I am really curious about what is in the bill to be honest.

why would they eliminate family based petitions? there's people who have been out of the country waiting WAY before this change could go into effect, it just doesn't make sense. people out of the country are OUT; they should have nun to do with the immigrants the state.

could someone clarify please. or is it that the article used the wrong word. As I remember correctly, one of the points that Schummer made early in the year was that: "by minimizing the illegal flow, we can then open the doors for families to reunite"...

wtf is goin' on

A second Republican co sponsor would most likely bring in more votes and it would make it "bipartisan."

Relax Alex. It's all speculation. ALL OF IT. Every word ever written about CIR in this session of congress is pure speculation. Why? Because there is no bill introduced. One person says this. Another person says that. But until the actual bill is introduced and made available to the public, it's all opinion. Why worry over something that may actually never happen? Try to live your life as best you can, but face the fact that you (and all of us) are in limbo. God Bless.

He said 56 but that does that include Graham? Lets assume it does. We have Gregg and Patterson.

Never assume anything. And no, the 56 does not include Graham (all but 3 DEMOCRATS would vote yes. That's how I understood it, anyway). And even if it does include Graham, until any other Republican puts their name on the bill, we have nobody but Graham.