DREAM Act. The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act of 2009 would, as described by Congressional Quarterly, \”provide a pathway to citizenship for children of illegal immigrants who attend college or join the military.\” This act would provide amnesty for up to 2.1 million children of illegal immigrants. It would also permit states to offer them in-state tuition rates.
The DREAM Act was first introduced in the Senate in 2001. Although it was voted down as a stand-alone measure in the Senate in 2007, pro-amnesty forces have continued to promote its passage. Since the DREAM Act had not been brought up for a stand-alone vote in this session, Democratic leaders attempted to add it as an amendment to the fiscal 2011 defense authorization bill (S. 3454) by scheduling a pre-election cloture vote on proceeding to the defense bill with a limitation that only three amendments could be considered: (1) the DREAM Act; (2) a limitation on Senators\’ use of secret holds on bills or nominations; and (3) striking the defense bill\’s repeal of the 1993 \”don\’t ask, don\’t tell\” law. Although the DREAM Act shared billing with two other amendments, it was clear that the DREAM Act, with its obvious implications for wooing the Hispanic vote, was the centerpiece of this pre-election cloture vote.
The Senate failed to invoke cloture (limiting debate and allowing a vote) on the motion to proceed to the defense authorization bill on September 21, 2010 by a vote of 56-43 (Roll Call 238). Sixty votes are required to invoke cloture. We have assigned pluses to the nays because invoking cloture would have permitted a vote on, and likely approval of, the DREAM Act amendment to provide amnesty to certain groups of illegal immigrants.
