What Hutchison said

Hey guys, back in November I wrote to Hutchison about the Dream Act issue, this is her response:
Thank you for contacting me regarding in-state tuition for long-term resident immigrants. I welcome your thoughts and comments on this issue.

On March 1, 2007, Congressman Howard Berman (D-CA) introduced H.R. 1275, the American Dream Act. This legislation would allow states to offer in-state tuition rates to long-term resident immigrant students. Another measure, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2007, was introduced in the Senate. This bill would also allow certain long-term residents who entered the U.S. as children to have their immigration or residency status adjusted to conditional permanent residents or permanent residents for the purpose of gaining college admission.

The DREAM Act was originally introduced as S. 774 by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) on March 6, 2007. Senator Durbin further attempted to introduce the legislation as an amendment to a number of unrelated bills, including the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. On October 18, 2007, Senator Durbin introduced the legislation as a stand-alone bill. I voted in favor of the cloture motion to bring this legislation to the Senate floor for consideration. My vote on this motion was in no way an endorsement of the DREAM Act legislation. In fact, I was prepared to introduce an amendment that would have replaced the language of the DREAM Act that had been proposed by Senator Durbin. My alternative sought to remove any form of amnesty. It did not promote any automatic path to citizenship, and it placed tighter parameters on those who sought to advance their college education as the courts and Texas state law have allowed. I voted for cloture on the motion to proceed to the consideration of the bill with the understanding that my bipartisan amendment would have replaced the original language of the bill.

I did not support Senator Durbin's bill, and my vote on cloture was completely contingent upon the full consideration of my amendment. As I stated on the Senate floor during my colloquy with Senator Durbin, if a bipartisan solution could not be reached, I planned to vote against his bill. My vote for cloture was an attempt to work towards a solution.

I appreciate hearing from you, and I hope that you will not hesitate to keep in touch on any issue of concern to you.

sigh... we were so close, but yet so far.

sigh... i hope they will reintroduce the DREAM ACT again in 2008..... because our age is growing, we need the paper to follow our america dream.........

Don't expect too much of 2008.

I have no expectations for 2008... I see it as a time that gives us to organize ourselves for 2009.

sigh......we all wait too long.....i have a lot of chances to work in the good company...but all were gone....bc the immigration status.

Same here I had good chance to get an awesome intern this summer, but had to with an voluntary local intern, either way I'll still get my 3 units towards my bachelors.

sad.....i just went to interview.....they hired me at the first....after i told them i can not pay taxes, then they said their employee have to pay the tax.... damn...ittt.... i hate it......

what the hell are you talking about?

they need me to pay the tax....dude....so they are not going to hire me

Why can't you pay the tax?