This afternoon, an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to get the US Senate to pass a bill originally sponsored by Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) commonly known as the DREAM Act failed by a procedural vote.
With little time left on the legislative calendar before mid-term elections, Reid announced earlier this month that he intended to offer the DREAM Act as an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization bill. Republicans quickly decried the move with opposition being led by former immigration reform advocate, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.
In addition to the immigration measure, Democrats had hoped to use the authorization bill as a vehicle for repealing the controversial Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy which relates to gays in the military.
Both issues received the support of numerous high military officials included Secretary of Defense Gates who argued that legalizing the status of thousands of young people in order for them to attend college or enter the military was crucial to national defense.
Because of Republican objections, a procedural vote requiring the support of sixty senators was required before the amendments could even be considered. No Republicans supported the motion to begin consideration of the bill effectively killing all chances for bringing up the Dream Act in this congressional calendar.
Immediately following the vote, Sen. Durbin vowed to continue the fight to pass the Dream Act, saying to the students affected, “Don’t give up your dream.”
Some DREAM Huh?