Bennett: GOP might pass own version of DREAM Act next year

Outgoing Sen. Bob Bennett (R-Utah) said Friday he's privately discussed the prospect that Republicans would pursue their own version of the DREAM Act next year.

Bennett said he would vote for the immigration legislation, which gives immigrants who were illegally brought to the U.S. as children a conditional pathway to citizenship, if Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) brought it to the floor under the right conditions.

If that fails, the outgoing senator said, Republicans have privately discussed the prospects of writing and passing a version of the DREAM Act that could make its way through Congress.

"Now, I know a lot of my colleagues are not happy to vote for it, and I don't think the votes ... are there to pass it in this Congress," Bennett said in his final conference call with Utah reporters. "And as I've talked, particularly to my Republican friends, I've said we really need to do this. Their reaction has been to me, privately, 'You're right. We do really need to do it.'"

Democrats are hoping to bring up the House-passed version of the DREAM Act for a vote in the Senate in the closing days of the lame-duck Congress. Bennett has said he would vote for a standalone version of the bill but not for one that is wedded to many other provisions he doesn't prefer.

But time is running out on the Senate's legislative calendar, especially as Republicans have demanded that taxes be handled before any other issue. Because no final deal has been made, it might be difficult for Democrats to pass the legislation.



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"We don't like the specifics coming out of the House ... but we agree that, once the Republicans control the House, the Republicans have the responsibility to write a bill that we would vote for and send it over," Bennett said of his conversation with fellow Republicans.

"And we, at least the Republican senators I've talked to, we think that if we get a DREAM Act worded the way we like, we will vote for it, and we want to do it early next year," he added. "It's my hope — I don't expect it — but it's my hope that we can do it this year. If not, it's my hope a little bit stronger that it can be taken care of next year."

Such a move could anger conservatives if the legislation doesn't substantially differ from the Democratic-led legislation this term. Conservative activists were riled by President George W. Bush's push for comprehensive immigration reform in 2007, which — like the DREAM Act — they called an "amnesty" bill.

Republican lawmakers' tensions with the base contributed to the kind of anger in the party base that led to primary challenges to Republican incumbents this cycle. One such primary ended Bennett's career, after Sen.-elect Mike Lee beat out Bennett for the Republican Senate nomination in Utah earlier this year.

Source : http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefi...-act-next-year

This is great news for us. Don't worry if it fails folks. I don't want anyone to be feel bad.

keep Calling Guys, They Are Working On It, we have heard this before, it seems to me they want to play politics with the Latino constituency , even Obama who promised in my first year I will pass CIR, to years later we are fighting for Dream, only, now you are going to fall for what Benett is saying ? Morale of the story, don't trust anyone, no one, keep working

I received following from Dream Activist:

QT



This gives us more time to mobilize and build additional support for the DREAM Act. We are planning a full court press to lobby the Senate to pass the DREAM Act. We cannot do this without your support.

Click here to give just $2, $5, $10 or more. The stakes couldn't be any higher and we are counting on you to get us over the top.

Thank you very much for your contribution and everything that you do.

Sincerely,

co-founder of DreamActivist.org
UNQT

Now get to it guys, cocentrate your efforts on being pro-active and helping each other call!!

Republicans are saying this to him just to keep him satisfied! With conservatives like Mike Lee and Rand Paul coming in there is no way the senate or for that matter a TEA PARTY controlled house will pass a immigration bill other enforcement only measure.

DON'T FALL FOR THIS CRAP!

I seriously don't understand what Bennett plans to do. Will he vote for the House version of the bill this year or not?

Da User, even if it failed and they tried to bring up a Republican version they would never lower the age cap. It would probably go even lower to like 25

The Odds of that happening a very slim. They're going to have allot of Tea party candidates in the house and Two anti-immigrant congressman in charge of immigration committees.

Agreed. With the Republicans in charge of such a bill, the age would be even lowered more to make it more strict and lower the amount of people who obtain the benefits.

Lol at even thinking that immigration reform is going to come up next year. Republicans will want the opposite thing (Enforcement) since the Tea Party let them get elected.

At first, I felt bad for you, but now it's just annoying.

So under this scenario, the potential logjam in the Senate would be avoided, but there would most certainly be one in the House (recall 2006 CIR).

There is no way I'm buying anything any Republican says.

Hit those MF'n phones and faxes, people!