Senate Actions Taken - May 16-May 25
| May 25, 2006 - Considered and amended by the Senate. | Print-friendly version | |
| ISSUE | FAIR POSITION | OUTCOME |
| Cornyn, R-TX, amendment no. 4097 - vote #151 Would modify the requirements for confidentiality certain information submitted by an alien seeking an adjustment of status under section 245B. | We oppose the amnesty proposal. | Rejected 49-49 |
| Bingaman, D-NM, amendment no. 4131 - vote #152 Would limit the total number of aliens, including spouses and children, granted employment-based legal permanent resident status to 650,000 during any fiscal year. | SUPPORT | Adopted 51-47 |
| Feingold, D-WI, amendment no. 4083 - vote #153 Would strike a provision in the bill prohibiting the court from staying removal of any alien, except in cases when the alien shows, by clear and convincing evidence, that entry or execution of the removal order is prohibited as a matter of law. | STRONGLY OPPOSE | Adopted 52-45 |
| Sessions, R-AL, amendment no. 4108, vote #154 Would prohibit an illegal alien granted amnesty or guest worker status from being eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit. | STRONGLY SUPPORT | Rejected 37-60 |
| Ensign, R-NV, amendment no. 4136, vote #155 Would prohibit an alien granted amnesty from collecting any tax refund for any taxable year before 2006, or from filing a tax credit - including the Earned Income Tax Credit - prior to the 2006 tax year. | STRONGLY SUPPORT | Adopted 50-47 |
| Specter, R-PA, manager's amendment, vote #156 language for this amendment has not been publicly released. | Adopted 56-41 | |
| FINAL PASSAGE OF S.2611, THE COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM ACT OF 2006 - vote #157 | We oppose the amnesty proposal. | The bill as amended is agreed to 62-36. |
| May 24, 2006 - Considered and amended by the Senate. | ||
| ISSUE | FAIR POSITION | OUTCOME |
| McConnell, R-KY, amendment no. 4085 - vote #143 Would implement the recommendation of the Carter-Baker Commission on Federal Election Reform by requiring voters to present photo ID in order to protect and secure the franchise of all United States citizens from ballots being cast illegally by non-United States citizens. | SUPPORT | Dodd motion to table (or kill) rejected 48-49 |
| Byrd, D-WV, amendment no. 4127 - vote #146 Would fund improvements in border and interior security by assessing a $500 supplemental fee to illegal aliens applying for amnesty under title VI. | We oppose the guest worker amnesty proposal. | Adopted 73-25 |
| Gregg, R-NH, amendment no. 4114 - vote #147 Would amend title II of the Immigration and Nationality Act to reform the diversity visa program by reserving a portion of the diversity lottery visas for aliens with an advanced degree in science mathematics, technology, or engineering. | We oppose the diversity lottery visa program. | Adopted 56-42 |
| Landrieu, D-LA, amendment no. 4025 Would provide for the reform of intercountry adoption. | NEUTRAL | Agreed to by voice vote. |
| Hutchison, R-TX, amendment no. 4101 - vote #148 Would enhance border security by creating a pilot SAFE Visa Program to grant visas to authorized nationals of a NAFTA or CAFTA-DR country who receive employment offers in job areas in the United States that have been certified by the Secretary of Labor as having a shortage of workers. | STRONGLY OPPOSE | Rejected 31-67 |
| Boxer, D-CA, amendment no. 4144 Would add language to clarify employer requirements before applying for use of H-2C guest workers. | SUPPORT | Agreed to by voice vote. |
| Burns, R-MT, amendment no. 4124 Would provide for a Bureau of the Census report to Congress on the impact of illegal immigration on the apportionment of Representatives in Congress. | SUPPORT | Agreed to by voice vote. |
| Chambliss, R-GA, amendment no. 4084 - vote #149 Would modify the eligibility requirements for agricultural guest worker status and increase the fines to be paid by illegal aliens granted such status or legal permanent resident status. | We oppose the guest worker proposal. | Motion to table (or kill) passed 62-35 |
| Dorgan, D-ND, amendment no. 4095 - vote #150 Would sunset the H-2C visa program (guest worker program) after the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act. | We oppose the guest worker proposal. | Rejected 48-49 |
| Allard, R-CO, budget point of order raised - vote #145 A budget point of order can be raised when the projected cost of legislation under consideration exceeds a certain level. If the point of order is upheld, the legislation cannot proceed. To continue consideration of the underlying bill, the Senate must move to waive the rules under the Budget Act for this legislation. | STRONGLY SUPPORT | The Senate agreed to waive the rules under the Budget Act, rejecting the point of order 67-31 |
| Motion to invoke cloture or end debate on the underlying bill S. 2611 - vote #144 | OPPOSE | The Senate agreed to invoke cloture (end debate) 73-25 |
| May 23, 2006 - Considered and amended by the Senate. | ||
| ISSUE | FAIR POSITION | OUTCOME |
| Feinstein, D-Calif., amendment no. 4087 vote #138 Replaces the three-tiered system earned legalization system in the underlying bill with a system that would apply to all illegal immigrants and allow them to remain in the United States and apply for an identification card known as an "orange card", provided that they pass a background check. | We oppose any amnesty proposal. | Rejected 37-61 |
| Leahy, D-Vt., amendment no. 4117 vote #139 Would revise the existing ban on granting refugee status to aliens who have provided "material support" to a terrorist organization. It would authorize the secretary of State, in consultation with the U.S. attorney general, to grant refugee status to individuals if they do not pose a threat to national security or U.S. nationals. It also would allow the secretary of State to exclude from the definition of "terrorist organization" groups determined to not pose a threat to national security or U.S. nationals. | OPPOSE | Specter motion to table (or kill) passed 79-19 |
| Grassley, R-Iowa, amendment no. 4177 vote #140 Would strike the bill's employment verification system and replace it with an electronic verification system that would allow employers to verify the legal status of workers within three days. If a worker's status could not be verified, it would obligate the employer to discharge the worker. It would allow legitimate workers wrongly discharged because of a verification system error to be compensated by the government for lost wages. | NEUTRAL | Adopted 59-39 |
| Kennedy, D-Mass., amendment no. 4106 vote #141Would expand enforcement provisions of existing employment laws. It would make willful or grossly negligent Occupational Safety and Health Act violations a criminal felony. Employers would be required to provide back pay to undocumented workers. It would require 25 percent of the Department of Labor's investigators to be fluent in a language other than English. It also would increase fines for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act. | OPPOSE | Isakson motion to table (or kill) passed 57-40 |
| Durbin, D-Ill., amendment no. 4142 vote #142 Provides a waiver, granted at the sole discretion of the attorney general or secretary of Homeland Security, for permanent residents who become subject to deportation under the provisions of the bill, excluding provisions regarding terrorism, who could show that deportation would cause extreme hardship for their respective immediate family members in the United States, tabled. | STRONGLY OPPOSE | Cornyn motion to table (or kill) passed 63-34 |
| May 22, 2006 - Considered and amended by the Senate. | ||
| ISSUE | FAIR POSITION | OUTCOME |
| Chambliss, R-Ga., amendment no. 4009 vote #136 Would modify the wage requirements for employers seeking to hire H-2A and blue card agricultural workers. | NEUTRAL- We oppose the guest worker proposal. | Craig motion to table (or kill) passed 50-43 |
| Ensign, R-Nev., amendment no. 4076 vote #137 Would authorize any state governor, with approval from the secretary of Defense, to order units or personnel of that state's National Guard to spend annual training duty engaged in border security activities in states along the U.S.-Mexico border. | SUPPORT | Adopted 83-10 |
| May 19, 2006 - Considered and amended by the Senate. | ||
| ISSUE | FAIR POSITION | OUTCOME |
| No voice or recorded votes | ||
| May 18, 2006 - Considered and amended by the Senate. | ||
| ISSUE | FAIR POSITION | OUTCOME |
| Nelson, D-Fla., amendment no. 3998 Would construct or acquire additional detention facilities and the use of alternate detention facilities for illegal immigrants, thus utilizing all possible options to cost effectively increase available detention space that are owned and operated by the Federal Government. | STRONGLY SUPPORT | Agreed to be voice vote. |
| Kyl, R-Ariz., amendment no. 3969 vote #135 Removes provisions allowing guest workers to apply for permanent residency. | SUPPORT-We oppose the guest worker proposal. | McCain motion to table (or kill) passed 58-35 |
| Cornyn, R-Texas, amendment no. 4038 - vote #134 Would impose an additional application fee on immigrants to begin the process of legalization. It would create a fund that would collect those fees and use the money to help states pay for heath and educational services for non-citizens. | NEUTRAL | Adopted 64-32. |
| Clinton, D-N.Y., amendment no. 4072 - vote #133 Redirects a portion of fees to be collected by the underlying bill, and directs 25% of funds to the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program and 75% of funds to state governments, some of which must be provided to local governments, for education and health care services that are provided to illegal immigrants. | NEUTRAL | Rejected 43-52. |
| Salazar, D-Colo., amendment no. 4073 -vote #132 Declares English as the common, unifying language of the United States, and that the government of the United States should promote English as the common, unifying language of the United States. | NEUTRAL | Adopted 58-39. |
| Inhofe, R-Okla., amendment no. 4064 - vote #131 Would establish English as the national language of the United States. It would set English as the primary language of U.S. government communication. The government would not have to provide materials or services in a language other than English unless authorized or required by law. It would strike from the bill an option for illegal immigrants to enroll in English classes to fulfill a requirement to legalize their status and instead require those immigrants to pass English proficiency tests. It would set goals and suggest changes to the English test immigrants must pass to qualify for legal permanent residence. | SUPPORT | Adopted 63-34. |
| Vitter, R-La., amendment no. 3964 Strikes the provision allowing a self-signed statement of affirmation to be considered proof of employment history for an illegal immigrant, requires the secretary of Homeland Security to verify third party declarations of employment history, and places the burden of proof, with a preponderance of evidence, as to work history on the illegal immigrant. | STRONGLY SUPPORT | Agreed to by voice vote. |
| Akaka, D-Hawaii, amendment no. 4029 Grants special immigration status to the children of Phillipino veterans of World War II for the purposes of family reunification. | OPPOSE | Agreed to by voice vote. |
| Ensign, R-Nev., amendment no. 3985 vote #130 Removes the provision allowing illegal immigrants who receive legal status under the legislation to receive credit for Social Security benefits for time that they worked before receiving legal status, tabled. | STRONGLY SUPPORT | Specter motion to table (or kill) passed 50-49. |
| Specter, R-Pa., motion to table (kill) the Ensign, R-Nev., amendment no. 3985 - Vote #130 | STRONGLY OPPOSE | Adopted 50-49. |
| Kennedy, D-Mass., amendment no. 4066 - Vote #129 Would modify the conditions under which individuals with guest worker visas may apply for permanent legal residence status. Guest workers would not need an employer to attest to forthcoming employment. For guest workers to self-petition, it would require the secretary of Labor to certify that no American worker is available to take the job. It also would require the immigrant to provide documentary proof that he or she is employed, including self-employment. | STRONGLY OPPOSE | Adopted 56-43. |
| May 17, 2006 - Considered and amended by the Senate. | ||
| ISSUE | FAIR POSITION | OUTCOME |
| Kyl R-Ariz., amendment no. 4027 - Vote #125 Would bar illegal immigrants from the earned citizenship process if they were convicted of a felony or three misdemeanors or in violation of certain immigration laws. The ban would also apply to those illegal immigrants who ignore final orders of removal. It also would grant the secretary of Homeland Security the authority to waive the ban under certain circumstances. | We oppose the amnesty proposal. | Adopted 99-0. |
| Obama, D-Ill., amendment no. 3971 Requires employers to use data from the Department of Labor to calculate a prevailing wage in instances not covered by collective bargaining agreements or the Service Contract Act of 1965 and freezes the guest worker program in areas where the unemployment rate is more than 9% for those who have a high school education or less. | NEUTRAL | Agreed to by voice vote. |
| Sessions, R-Ala., amendment no. 3979 - Vote #126 Would increase the fencing and vehicle barriers along the southwest border of the United States. It would require within two years of enactment the construction of 370 miles of triple-layered fencing and 500 miles of vehicle barriers along that border. Existing hardware could be counted towards these totals. | STRONGLY SUPPORT | Adopted 83-16. |
| Vitter, R-La., amendment no. 3963 - Vote#127 Would strike provisions that would provide a process to obtain legal residence and citizenship for illegal immigrants or the amnesty proposal. It also would strike the bill's agriculture worker program provisions. | STRONGLY SUPPORT | Rejected 33-66. |
| Leahy, D-Vt., for Stevens, R-Alaska, amendment no. 4018 To extend the deadline given to the secretary of Homeland Security for the implementation of a new travel document plan for border crossings to June 1, 2009 | STRONGLY OPPOSE | Agreed to by voice vote. |
| Santorum, R-Pa., amendment no. 4000 To allow additional countries to participate in the visa waiver program under section 217 of the Immigration and Nationality Act if they meet certain criteria. | STRONGLY OPPOSE | Agreed to by voice vote. |
| Cornyn, R-Texas, amendment no. 3965 - Vote #128 Would condition non-immigrant temporary workers who self-petition for employment-based immigrant visas under the guest worker program to have been employed at their current status for at least four years, have the employer attest that the immigrant will be employed in the offered position and require the secretary of Labor to certify that no American worker is available to take the job. | We oppose the guest worker proposal. | Adopted 50-48. |
| May 16, 2006 - Considered and amended by the Senate. | ||
| ISSUE | FAIR POSITION | OUTCOME |
| Kerry, D-Mass., amendment no. 3999 To improve the capacity of the United States Border Patrol to rapidly respond to threats to border security. Increases the number of Border Patrol agenst by 1,000 in the current fiscal year. | SUPPORT | Agreed to by voice vote. |
| Specter, R-Pa., motion to table (kill) the Bingaman, D-N.M., amendment no. 3981 - vote #124 - Would cap the number of H-2C non-immigrant visas for the bill's guest worker program to 200,000 in any fiscal year. | We oppose the guest worker proposal. | Rejected 18-79. Note: Subsequently, the amendment was adopted by voice vote. |
| Bingaman, D-N.M., amendment no. 3981 To reduce the number of H-2C non-immigrants to 200,000 during any fiscal year. | We oppose the guest worker proposal. | Agreed to by voice vote. |
| Specter, R-Pa., motion to table (kill) the Dorgan, D-N.D., amendment no. 4017 - vote #123 - amendment would limit eligibility for the bill's guest worker program to only those illegal immigrants who have been in the United States for two to five years. | We oppose the guest worker proposal. | Adopted 69-28. |
| Salazar, D-Colo., amendment no. 3994 - vote #122 Would bar the implementation of bill provisions that would establish a temporary guest worker program and a means for illegal immigrants to earn legal status until the president determines those provisions would strengthen the national security of the United States. | NEUTRAL | Adopted 79-16. |
| Isakson, R-Ga., amendment no. 3961 - vote #121 Would require the secretary of Homeland Security to certify in writing that the borders are secure and new detention facilities are operational before implementing other provisions in the bill -- including a guest worker program and legalization provisions. | STRONGLY SUPPORT | Rejected 40-55. |
