Farmworker Justice Immigration Reform Update 6/11/13
Senate Update
The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, S.744, has moved to the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader Reid plans to offer robust opportunity for debate on the bill and proposed amendments. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Leahy (D-VT), who supports the bill, will manage the floor for the Democrats, but will have less control over the debate than he had in the committee. He encouraged Senators to file amendments early to maintain a transparent process. Senate rules allow the Senators to offer amendments on any part of the bill at any time. We expect that hundreds of amendments will be filed. Republican floor time will be divided between proponents and opponents of the bill. Senator Reid expects that debate on S.744 will continue for three weeks with a final vote before the July 4 recess.
Senator Reid filed motions to initiate debate S.744 last Thursday. The vote on the motion for cloture (to end debate) on the motion to proceed will be at 2:15 today (Tuesday). On Friday, Senators began making opening statements on the comprehensive immigration reform bill. Of note, Senator Boxer (D-CA) in her opening remarks discussed the need to protect the careful compromise reflected in the agricultural worker provisions. Senator Lee (R.-UT) repeatedly called the bill, “an immigration version of Obamacare.”
House Update
Last week, Rep. Labrador made news when he withdrew from the House “gang of eight” working on a comprehensive immigration reform bill due to irreconcilable differences over access to health care benefits. The gang reportedly still plans to file it in June. However, there is no guarantee that the House Judiciary Committee will take up the bill, as Judiciary Committee Chair Goodlatte (R-VA) prefers a piecemeal approach to immigration reform. Speaker Boehner has promised that immigration reform bills will go through full House process (meaning they will have to go through the committee process first), so the House gang of (now) seven’s bill may never receive a vote.
However, the House does not need to pass a comprehensive bill in order for an immigration reform bill to go to a House-Senate conference committee. The House could pass one or several piecemeal bills, which would then go to a conference committee with S.744 (assuming it passes the Senate), which would be charged with creating one final bill that would return to both houses for a final vote. If each body approves the conference committee’s compromise bill, then it would be delivered to the President’s desk for his veto or signature.
Senate Update
The Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, S.744, has moved to the Senate floor. Senate Majority Leader Reid plans to offer robust opportunity for debate on the bill and proposed amendments. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Leahy (D-VT), who supports the bill, will manage the floor for the Democrats, but will have less control over the debate than he had in the committee. He encouraged Senators to file amendments early to maintain a transparent process. Senate rules allow the Senators to offer amendments on any part of the bill at any time. We expect that hundreds of amendments will be filed. Republican floor time will be divided between proponents and opponents of the bill. Senator Reid expects that debate on S.744 will continue for three weeks with a final vote before the July 4 recess.
Senator Reid filed motions to initiate debate S.744 last Thursday. The vote on the motion for cloture (to end debate) on the motion to proceed will be at 2:15 today (Tuesday). On Friday, Senators began making opening statements on the comprehensive immigration reform bill. Of note, Senator Boxer (D-CA) in her opening remarks discussed the need to protect the careful compromise reflected in the agricultural worker provisions. Senator Lee (R.-UT) repeatedly called the bill, “an immigration version of Obamacare.”
House Update
Last week, Rep. Labrador made news when he withdrew from the House “gang of eight” working on a comprehensive immigration reform bill due to irreconcilable differences over access to health care benefits. The gang reportedly still plans to file it in June. However, there is no guarantee that the House Judiciary Committee will take up the bill, as Judiciary Committee Chair Goodlatte (R-VA) prefers a piecemeal approach to immigration reform. Speaker Boehner has promised that immigration reform bills will go through full House process (meaning they will have to go through the committee process first), so the House gang of (now) seven’s bill may never receive a vote.
However, the House does not need to pass a comprehensive bill in order for an immigration reform bill to go to a House-Senate conference committee. The House could pass one or several piecemeal bills, which would then go to a conference committee with S.744 (assuming it passes the Senate), which would be charged with creating one final bill that would return to both houses for a final vote. If each body approves the conference committee’s compromise bill, then it would be delivered to the President’s desk for his veto or signature.