DREAM Act Defeated In U.S. Senate, Fell Four Votes Short To Pass

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Latinos nationwide to continue push for passage of the DREAM Act, despite another defeat to pass it in a Democrat majority in both houses.

By H. Nelson Goodson
September 21, 2010

Washington, D.C. - The U. S. Senate failed to pass the anticipated DREAM Act bill that was included in the Defense Authorization Bill. The Democrats and supporters fell short by four votes of 60 to pass the defense bill. Democrats failed to get a single Republican vote and couldn't get the 60 votes needed to move forward in order to attach the DREAM Act as an amendment. The vote was 56-43.
Three Democrats voted with Republicans. U.S. Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor from Arkansas voted with Republicans. Majority Leader Harry Reid (Dem.) also voted with Republicans to block the bill in a procedural move that allows the Defense Authorization Act - S. 3454 to be revived later.
The DREAM Act would have allowed for millions of undocumented immigrant students a path to U.S. Citizenship by serving in the military or attending a credited college and university. The DREAM Act allows undocumented students a path to become legal U.S. residents after spending two years in college or the military. It would only apply for teenagers who were under 16 when they arrived in the U.S., have been in the country at least five years and have a diploma from a U.S. high school or the equivalent.
Hundreds of thousands of calls to U.S. Senators calling for passage and against passage of the DREAM Act were registered. Latinos will continue to push for a DREAM Act to pass, despite today's set back.
Minutes after the defeat of the DREAM Act in the Senate floor, Americans for Legal Immigration PAC (ALIPAC) send out a press release taking part of the credit for defeating the DREAM Act in the defense spending bill. ALIPAC says, this is the third time that the organization has helped to defeat the measure.
"Today's victory was a victory for Americans, grass roots conservatives, and the conservatives, and the new media," said William Gheen, President of ALIPAC. "We have proven we can defeat Amnesty legislation with little or no TV or newspaper coverage. Now we are going to prove we have the power to throw some of the most powerful people in America out of office, if we all pull together to secure a peaceful, political, velvet revolution in America. Revolution now! Revolution now America!"

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