Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) “said he would file a motion Tuesday so the Senate could take up the DREAM Act, setting up a showdown over the bill that would provide some young, undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship,” POLITICO reports.
Both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Reid vowed earlier this month to hold votes on the standalone immigration bill during the lame-duck session. But Reid has been unable to hold together his 58-member caucus, and it’s uncertain if he’ll be able to corral the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster.
Already, Democratic Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas said they will not vote for cloture on the bill.
Republican Sens. Dick Lugar of Indiana and Bob Bennett, who was defeated in his Utah primary race, have signaled they will vote for the DREAM Act. At this point, pro-immigration activists, Reid and other Democrats are courting a handful of other moderate Republicans, including Sens. George Lemieux (Fla.), Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas) and Scott Brown (Mass.).
Update: The bill has not yet been procedurally added to the Senate calendar. Once it is later this week, Reid will then file the procedural (cloture) motion.
Congress in Your Pocket
