That may change this fall, for congressional interest in its provisions has grown and the Democrats still maintain majorities in both houses. According to Sen. Durbin's chief counsel, Joseph Zogby: "What we have seen over the years is a slow but steady building of support for the DREAMAct." He is optimistic that this will translate into votes on the floor, giving the act a decent chance of passage. ....
No Republican wants to give President Obama such a victory just before the November elections, and the Hispanic Caucus understandably wants comprehensive, not piecemeal, reform, so the legislation may not soon come up for a vote.
If that is the case, we'll just have to fight all the harder to make this DREAM come true.
http://www.sbsun.com/pointofview/ci_15655202
Rhonda Bodfield | Posted: Monday, August 2, 2010 4:39 pm | Comments
U.S. Congressman Raśl Grijalva said he’s all for a lame-duck session of Congress to tackle some elements of immigration reform if Democrats lose any seats in the midterms.
With talk of a post-election session to move some of the Democratic agenda that’s been stymied so far, Grijalva said there’s a group lobbying to make incremental changes, such as addressing an agricultural worker program or helping students obtain citizenship if they meet certain criteria.
Grijalva said he hopes if any immigration session does occur, that congressional leadership and the Obama administration have learned something from the health care debate, which raged hotter the longer it dragged on. “If we do anything, we’ll have to come in and deal with it right away. And if you don’t do anything, the shrills are going to continue to be in charge of this issue,” he said.
Grijalva agreed it would be a long shot, though, since the Senate — with its filibuster-proof majority — has been chewing up House measures all year. And even though a lame-duck session means there’s reduced political risk for candidates who have lost seats, Republicans are even less likely to help Democrats get any part of their agenda.
Pima County Republican Chairman Bob Westerman said voters should be asking Democrats in their upcoming races to pledge not to support a lame-duck session. “I think it would go over very badly with the public if they try to push through a liberal agenda while they have the people to do it,” he said.
http://azstarnet.com/news/blogs/pueb...cc4c03286.html