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Senate blocks immigration bill

June 28, 2007 | By Nathaniel Ward

Senate conservatives stood together today to block a vote on Sen. Ted Kennedy’s misguided “compromise” immigration proposal. Only 46 of the required 60 Senators elected to continue to a final vote, while 53 moved to block the legislation.

“Today’s Senate vote was a victory for those who believe in the rule of law,” Heritage Foundation President Ed Feulner said after the bill failed to advance.

“It was also a vote to uphold the primacy of national security in addressing immigration reform. Perhaps most important of all, it was a vote that reaffirmed the democratic ideal that lawmakers are to act as public servants, not as a ruling elite, that their first duty is to represent the will of the people.”

He continued: “It is my hope that lawmakers opt for a new strategy to achieve real immigration reform—reform that honors the rule of law, enhances national security, sustains economic growth and productivity, reaffirms the concept of American citizenship and civil society and unites us a a nation now and for generations to come.” 

Where next on immigration?

Conservatives have won this round of the immigration battle. But it’s important that we continue to make the case for a principled immigration reform that secures our borders, enforces the law, welcomes legal immigrants, and does not provide amnesty for lawbreakers.

Here’s what such a principled and realistic reform would look like, as outlined by Heritage scholars Matthew Spalding and James Carafano:

  • Enforce the laws. If properly enforced, laws already on the books could discourage future illegal immigration and deter the employment of illegal immigrants.
  • Gain back control of the southern border. Important border security initiatives are already underway and should be continued and fully funded.
  • Emphasize legal immigration. Ensure legal immigration processes are “fair, orderly, and efficient—welcoming those who abide by immigration laws and denying entry and advantages to those who violate the law.” This means no amnesty.
  • Create flexible legal opportunities to work in the United States. Reforming America’s visa laws to allow for a truly temporary and well-constructed worker program could help reduce the flow of illegal immigrants, serving our national security and our economy.

“This strategy is realistic and feasible in the short-term,” Spalding and Carafano explain. “Most of the tools required to beef up border security and pursue workplace enforcement have already been passed and mostly authorized by Congress.”

Liberals are already planning to push for amnesty yet again, so it’s important conservatives present their alternatives promptly. “It’ll come back,” Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said after today’s vote. “It’s just a question of when.”

Take our poll: Should Congress take up the Kennedy immigration proposal again or consider other, principled immigration solutions?

How Heritage shaped the debate

Heritage Foundation analysis helped shape the debate on the immigration proposal, as our experts worked tirelessly to point out its flaws and suggest sound, principled alternatives. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) praised Heritage’s work on the issue on the Senate floor, adding that Heritage is “one of our nation’s most august and respected institutions that deals with public policy.” This week alone, Heritage experts produced seven research papers that we sent off immediately to lawmakers so they could have the latest facts and analysis.

And our impact on the news media has been tremendous. Since the immigration deal was first announced last month,

  • 130 print and online articles have cited Heritage’s immigration work, including several of the nation’s top columnists.
  • 70 radio programs, including Laura Ingraham’s and dozens of others nationwide, have hosted Heritage experts.
  • 50 television shows, on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, PBS and other networks, have brought on Heritage experts as guests or cited their research.

Without the support of Heritage’s 300,000 members, none of this important work would have been possible. Click here to support Heritage’s work.

Read a full list of Heritage research on immigration

View a compilation of all Heritage media appearances

The battle for sane budgets

As the Senate wrangled with immigration proposals, the House moved ahead with spending bills for next fiscal year. The spending process, unfortunately, makes clear that though many politicians speak its praises, “fiscal responsibility” remains just a catchphrase.

Read more about the need for fiscal discipline.

Britain’s new leadership

Gordon Brown took over yesterday as Britain’s prime minister. This morning, he announced his new leadership team, which includes figures like Iraq war critic David Miliband as foreign minister.

Brown’s premiership could have a large impact on trans-Atlantic relations, Heritage foreign policy expert Nile Gardiner writes in a new analysis, though the “Special Relationship [between America and Britain] will continue in the immediate term.”

Click here for further analysis of Brown’s rise to power.

In other news

  • In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court today struck down the practice of assigning children to schools based on their race. It would be better still if parents, not bureaucrats, were able to choose their children’s school.
  • Congressmen yesterday backed a measure granting themselves a raise of more than $4,000. In the real world, pay raises are based on performance, though it’s long been clear that Congress lives in its own world.
  • Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) said this week that he supports bringing back the Fairness Doctrine, a pernicious media regulation liberals want to use to shut down conservative voices on radio and television. “I think the Fairness Doctrine ought to be there,” he said on WNYC radio.
  • Filmmaker Michael Moore is set to release “Sicko,” a wildly distorted propaganda movie promoting socialist health care for the United States. David Gratzer of the Manhattan Institute debunks many of the film’s distortions in today’s Wall Street Journal.

Coming up at Heritage

To attend the following Heritage Foundation events, RSVP at Heritage’s events website. Or you can watch these events live online at Heritage.org. All times are Eastern.

Nathaniel Ward is the Editor of MyHeritage.org—a website for members and supporters of The Heritage Foundation. DeEtte Chatterton contributed to this report.